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Hereso the Euler-Lagrange field equation is the variable-coefficient wave equationAt leading order, $\Phi =A(X,T)\cos \theta$ hasand henceThe leading part of the modulated-wave first integral isA nonconstant periodic wave therefore requires the local dispersion relationThis is usually called the eikonal equation, or equivalently the leading geometric-optics dispersion relation.

Under $A_{\mu }\mapsto A_{\mu }+{\partial }_{\mu }\alpha$, the field strength is unchanged, but the mass term in the Proca action changes bywhich is not generally a total derivative. The mass therefore breaks gauge invariance.

The Euler-Lagrange field equation isTaking its divergence and using the antisymmetry of $F^{\mu \nu }$ gives $m^2{\partial }_{\nu }{A}^{\nu }=0$. Since $m>0$, the Lorenz constraint in Proca theory follows. Substitution back into the field equation then gives

The differential operators are self-adjoint under integration by parts, so the Euler-Lagrange field equations are

The translation changes the Lagrangian density by $\delta {\mathcal{L}}_0={ϵ}^{\nu }{\partial }_{\nu }{\mathcal{L}}_0={\partial }_{\mu }({ϵ}^{\mu }{\mathcal{L}}_0)$. The Noether current is thereforeThis is the canonical stress-energy tensor. Directly,up to the analogous adjoint-field term, so the Euler-Lagrange field equations imply ${\partial }_{\mu }{T}^{\mu \nu }=0$ on shell. The Dirac equation also gives ${\mathcal{L}}_0=0$ on shell.

Expanding $F_{\mu \nu }$, using antisymmetry of ${ϵ}^{\mu \nu \rho \sigma }$, and cyclically rearranging the matrix trace giveswhere the Chern-Simons current isThe theta contribution to the action is therefore a boundary term. For variations that vanish at the spacetime boundary, its variation vanishes, so it contributes nothing to the classical Euler-Lagrange field equations. Its integral can still distinguish topologically nontrivial gauge configurations in the quantum theory.

Expanding the Hamiltonian about a static classical solution removes the linear term by its Euler-Lagrange field equation. For a canonical real scalar field with potential $U$, the quadratic fluctuation operator is $\mathcal{H}=-{\partial }_X^2+U^{\prime \prime }({\phi }_{\mathrm{cl}})$. Positive-frequency normal modes become quantum harmonic oscillators under canonical quantization, yielding the Gaussian contribution to a one-loop soliton mass correction. A negative eigenvalue signals an instability, while a physical zero mode in field theory must be replaced by a collective coordinate.

A relativistic real scalar field theory with a periodic cosine potential. In physical coordinates $y^{\mu }$, one normalization is $\mathcal{L}=\frac{1}{2}{\partial }_{\mu }\phi {\partial }^{\mu }\phi -m^2(1-\cos \beta \phi )/{\beta }^2$. With $\varphi =\beta \phi$ and $x^{\mu }=m{y}^{\mu }$, its action is $S={\beta }^{-2}\int d^{2}x[\frac{1}{2}(\partial \varphi {)}^2+\cos \varphi -1]$. Its Euler-Lagrange field equation is the Sine-Gordon equation. Distinct scalar-field vacua differ by $2\pi$ in $\varphi$, permitting a Sine-Gordon kink.

For the static energy $E=\int [{\varphi }^{\prime 2}+W^{\prime }(\varphi {)}^2]dx/2$, completing the square givesThe Bogomolny bound is the absolute boundary difference. Equality requires the Bogomolny equation ${\varphi }^{\prime }=\pm W^{\prime }(\varphi )$ with the sign selected by that difference. Differentiating it gives the Euler-Lagrange field equation ${\varphi }^{\prime \prime }=W^{\prime }{W}^{\prime \prime }$. A stationary solution of that second-order equation need not saturate the bound in a general field theory.