Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-calculus-of-variations-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2010/1/b/ii/solution
Past exam of the calculus of variations course of the University of Oxford 2010 1 b ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Zero is a strict strong local minimizer, and therefore also a strict weak local minimizer. Here , andFor , Taylor's theorem gives . Also and the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality give . ThereforeThe coefficient is positive. Thus every nonzero admissible with has strictly greater energy, proving that zero is a strict strong local minimizer of a variational integral.
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