Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/ib/paper-2/15a/solution

The two Euler-Lagrange equations are
Differentiating along an extremal and using these equations gives . Hence the Beltrami identity makes constant when has no explicit dependence on . If omits or , that variable is a cyclic coordinate and the corresponding momentum or is an additional first integral; continuous symmetries give the analogous conserved quantities through Noether's theorem.
Put . Since is cyclic,
for a constant . The Beltrami integral is
Therefore
If , then and
For , define
the hinted identity gives . Hence . Because as , the prescribed limit selects the minus sign:
As , the logarithm tends to , so every such solution satisfies .

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