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Let $Q$ be the configuration smooth manifold, and let $L(t,q,v)$ be a smooth Lagrangian on its tangent bundle. For a path with fixed endpoints, its action isThe principle of stationary action requires the first variation to vanish for every fixed-endpoint variation. In a coordinate chart take $q_s=q+s\eta$, with $\eta (a)=\eta (b)=0$. Differentiation under the integral and integration by parts giveRepeated coordinate indices are summed. The endpoint term vanishes. Since compactly supported variations can be chosen independently in each coordinate, the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations yields the Euler-Lagrange equationsConversely these equations make the displayed first variation zero for every fixed-endpoint variation. Variations localized in coordinate charts establish the same assertion for paths on $Q$. Thus the Euler-Lagrange equations are exactly the stationary-path condition, not necessarily a condition for an action minimum.

First let $L$ be a bounded linear operator on $H$ satisfying the symmetric positive-definiteness convention in part (a). For any direction $w\in H$, expansion of the quadratic functional givesThus vanishing of the first variation in every direction is precisely the weak equation $⟨Lu,w⟩=⟨f,w⟩$ for every $w$. In this whole-space bounded-operator setting it is equivalent to $Lu=f$, the Euler-Lagrange equation.

If $u$ solves that equation, set $v=u+w$. The linear terms cancel:with equality only when $v=u$. Hence the weak solution is the unique global minimizer. Conversely, any minimizer has zero first variation, and therefore solves the weak equation. For a symmetric bounded bilinear form $B$ on a form space $V$, exactly the same calculation gives $I(v)=B(v,v)-2\ell (v)$ and $B(u,w)=\ell (w)$ for every $w\in V$; it does not require an unbounded differential operator to map every $v\in V$ into $H$.

Existence for every $f$ requires an extra hypothesis if “positive definite” means only strict positivity. The coercive operator bound makes the form coercive, so the Lax-Milgram theorem supplies existence and uniqueness. Without that bound, the diagonal operator on sequence space $L(x_n)=(x_n/n)$ on ${\ell }^2$ is symmetric and strictly positive, but $f=(1/n)$ belongs to ${\ell }^2$ and its formal inverse $(1,1,\dots )$ does not. Thus strict positivity alone proves uniqueness and the minimizing property of a solution when one exists, not existence for all $f$.

For one small transverse displacement, the elastic energy of the elastic filament iswhere $A$ is the filament bending modulus. Its first variation isThe clamped boundary conditions remove the left boundary terms. A force-free and torque-free tip permits independent $\delta h(L)$ and $\delta h^{\prime }(L)$, so the natural boundary conditions for a free endpoint are $h^{\prime \prime }(L)=h^{\prime \prime \prime }(L)=0$: zero bending moment and transverse shear.

There is an important distinction between an energy minimum and a normal mode. The unloaded higher-order Euler-Lagrange equation is $h^{\prime \prime \prime \prime }=0$, whose only solution with these four boundary conditions is $h=0$. A general fluctuating shape is a sum of modes, not one of the stated sinusoidal/hyperbolic functions. To obtain the clamped--free bending modes, extremize the bending Rayleigh quotient, or equivalently $U[W]-\frac{1}{2}A{k}^4\int W^{2}dx$ with a fixed norm. Its Euler-Lagrange equation isThis is the constrained variational characterization of bending modes. Its four characteristic roots are $\pm k,\pm ik$. Clamping gives $F=-D$ and $E=-B$, henceThe free-tip conditions reduce toIts determinant is $-2(1+\cos q\cosh q)$, so nontrivial modes requireNo zero mode exists, since a cubic satisfying the homogeneous clamp/free conditions is zero. The clamped-free bending spectrum starts with $q_1\in (\pi /2,2)$; bisection or Newton iteration gives $q_1\simeq 1.875104$, so $k_1\simeq 1.875104/L$. Choosing $D=N(\sin q_n+\sinh q_n)$ and $B=-N(\cos q_n+\cosh q_n)$ givesThe second boundary condition follows from the root equation, and $N$ is arbitrary until a normalization is chosen.

The bending operator with these boundary conditions is positive and self-adjoint. Twice integrating by parts givesSymmetry implies orthogonality when $n\ne m$. Expand $h(x)={\sum }_n{a}_n{W}_n(x)$ and use $I_n=L^{-1}{\int }_0^L{W}_n^{2}dx$. Thenby the equipartition theorem. The supplied endpoint identity therefore yields the thermal bending fluctuations of a clamped filament:To evaluate the sum, apply a tip force $f$ and minimize $U-fh(L)$. The modified free-end conditions are $h^{\prime \prime }(L)=0$ and $-A{h}^{\prime \prime \prime }(L)=f$, and $h^{\prime \prime \prime \prime }=0$ in the interior. Integration gives $h(x)=f{x}^2(3L-x)/(6A)$, so the tip-force compliance of a cantilever is $L^3/(3A)$. On the other hand, minimizing the modal energy minus $f{\sum }_n{a}_n{W}_n(L)$ gives $a_n=f{W}_n(L)/(AL{k}_n^4{I}_n)$ and henceComparison evaluates the fourth inverse-power sum of the cantilever spectrum without truncating the modes:The boxed variance is for the specified single transverse direction. An independent equilibrium check follows by differentiating the Gaussian partition function with respect to $f$: $\partial ⟨h(L)⟩/\partial f=⟨h(L{)}^2⟩/(k_{B}T)$ at zero load, reproducing the same result from the static compliance. Keeping only the first normal mode gives about $0.32356k_{B}T{L}^3/A$, roughly $97.1\%$ of the exact variance. With two independent equivalent transverse directions, their summed variance is twice the boxed result. The small-slope model requires $k_{B}TL/A\ll 1$, or $L$ small compared with the usual three-dimensional persistence length $A/(k_{B}T)$.

Let $s$ be arclength, $\mathbf{t}={\partial }_s\mathbf{r}$ the unit tangent, and $\mathbf{v}$ the local filament velocity relative to the fluid. The resistive-force theory force per unit arclength, exerted by the fluid on the filament, isThe parallel and perpendicular drag coefficients of a slender filament are proportional to dynamic viscosity. For radius $a$ and a relevant axial cutoff length $\ell \gg a$, the anisotropic slender-filament drag from Stokeslet integration gives the leading logarithmic formsThe cutoff may be set by filament length or deformation wavelength. End shape and the choice of cutoff change order-one constants inside the logarithms. Slender-body theory also includes nonlocal interactions that the local resistive-force theory approximation omits. Typically ${\xi }_{\perp }>{\xi }_{\parallel }$, with ratio tending to two in the slender limit; this drag anisotropy enables propulsion.

Write $C={\xi }_{\perp }-{\xi }_{\parallel }>0$. For a small-amplitude planar deformation, $\mathbf{t}=(1,y_x)+O(y_x^2)$ and the leading transverse velocity is $y_t$. Exact inextensibility requires the quadratic longitudinal displacement of an inextensible planar filament: if $X(s,t)=s+X_2(s,t)$ and $Y(s,t)=y(s,t)$, then $X_{2,s}=-y_s^2/2$ to this order. Its velocity is quadratic and has zero time average for a periodic material cycle without mean axial drift. Thus the fixed material abscissa in the question is leading-order notation; this correction does not change the averaged propulsive term below. An imposed mean translation would contribute its separate ordinary axial drag.

To leading nonzero order,The time-averaged deformation-induced propulsive force of a periodic planar filament and power of a periodic planar filament are consequentlyThese are the leading quadratic functionals. Their signs refer to force on the filament. For example, $y=a\sin (kx-\Omega t)$ gives negative $F_x$, opposing the direction of wave propagation.

Let $\eta (x,t)$ be an arbitrary smooth variation periodic in both variables. The first variation of the constrained functional isUsing integration by parts in $x$ and $t$, every boundary term cancels by periodic boundary conditions. ThereforeThe Euler-Lagrange equation isFor a nontrivial stroke with nonzero thrust, $\Gamma \ne 0$. Set $c=C/(\Gamma {\xi }_{\perp })$ and $v=y_t$. Then $v_t+c{v}_x=0$, whose method of characteristics solution is $v=V(x-ct)$. Integrating in time gives the travelling-wave stationarity of planar filament propulsion:Here $g$ is an arbitrary static periodic component. It contributes neither power nor mean propulsion because the time average of $y_t$ vanishes. It can be set to zero when describing the active stroke. The wave must be compatible with both specified periods: $f(x-cT)=f(x)$.

For a pure travelling wave, its leading force and power areThus positive $x$ propulsion uses a wave travelling in the negative $x$ direction. Any smooth interior maximizer satisfying only the stated power constraint must have this travelling active deformation. If the drag were isotropic, $C=0$ and there would be no leading propulsion.

There is a qualification to the printed maximization claim: the variation proves stationarity, not the existence of an unrestricted global maximum. The bandwidth limitation in fixed-power filament optimization can be seen directly. Set $k=2\pi /\lambda$, $\Omega =2\pi /T$, and consider $y_m=a\sin (mkx+\Omega t)$. The leading expressions giveAt fixed power the formal quadratic objective increases with $m$. Eventually that sequence violates the small-slope approximation, but the approximation supplies no numerical slope or wavelength cutoff with which to define the global optimization. Even within a strict small-slope neighbourhood, a sufficiently small admixture of a higher spatial harmonic can improve a candidate interior maximum while keeping power fixed. For example, $y=a[\sqrt{1-{\eta }^2}\sin (kx+\Omega t)+\eta \sin (mkx+\Omega t)]$ retains the fundamental periods and exactly the same leading power, while its force is multiplied by $1+(m-1){\eta }^2$. For fixed $m>1$, taking $a$ and $\eta$ small keeps every slope small.

With an explicit admissible Fourier bandwidth or an additional geometric constraint, the intended conclusion can be made precise. For a finite set of nonstatic Fourier series modes proportional to $e^{i(k_{j}x-{\Omega }_{j}t)}$, with wavenumbers $k_j$ and frequencies ${\Omega }_j$,This is a weighted average of $-C{k}_j/({\xi }_{\perp }{\Omega }_j)$. A largest allowed ratio is attained by a single travelling mode, or by modes sharing the same phase speed; their superposition is still a travelling wave. Thus the Euler-Lagrange calculation yields the requested travelling-wave form, while a global maximum requires a specified admissible shape class.

Vary $y$ by $y+\epsilon \eta$, where the clamped endpoint conditions require $\eta ={\eta }^{\prime }=0$ at both endpoints. The first variation of the quadratic elastic energy isBoth integrations by parts have zero boundary terms. Since the variation is arbitrary in the interior, the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives the Euler-Lagrange equation. Varying $z$ independently gives the second equation:The clamped endpoint values accompany these equations. If $A$ or $B$ depends on $x$, it must remain inside the derivatives.

Work with real-valued functions. The screened sine-Gordon energy is well defined: $0\le 1-\cos u\le u^2/2$, and $fu$ is integrable by the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. It is coercive, becauseA minimizing sequence is bounded in the Hilbert space $H^1$. Weak sequential compactness of bounded sequences in a reflexive Banach space supplies a weakly convergent subsequence. The squared H1 space norm is weakly lower semicontinuous, the source pairing is weakly continuous, and the nonlinear term is covered by local Sobolev compactness gives lower semicontinuity of a nonnegative integral. The direct method in the calculus of variations therefore gives a minimizer $\varphi$.

Taking its first variation in any $v\in H^1$ givesThus the Euler-Lagrange equation isas a weak solution, equivalently in distributions when tested against smooth compactly supported functions. The derivative of the nonlinear term is justified by $|\sin \varphi |\le |\varphi |$ and the second-order remainder bound $|\cos |\le 1$.

Now $G=f-\sin \varphi \in L^2$, so the supplied elliptic regularity estimate puts $\varphi$ in $H^2$. Applying the Sobolev inequality to $\varphi$ and each first weak derivative gives $\varphi \in W^{1,6}({\mathbb{R}}^3)$. Morrey's inequality and uniformly continuous integrable functions vanish at infinity prove that its continuous representative tends to zero.

The final printed supremum estimate is false in general. The maximum bound for a monotone reaction term involves $h(s)=s+\sin s$, which is odd and strictly increasing: $h^{\prime }=1+\cos s\ge 0$, and its zeros are isolated. If $M=\Vert f{\Vert }_{\infty }<\infty$, a positive maximum $m$ of $\varphi$ satisfies $h(m)\le f\le M$; apply the same argument to $-\varphi$. The valid general estimate isThe bound by $M$ is valid if $M\le \pi$, but $h(s)$ can be smaller than $s$ for larger positive $s$.

For an explicit failure of the source-size bound for the screened sine-Gordon equation, take $a=3\pi /2$, $L=10$, $\varphi (x)=a{e}^{-|x{|}^2/L^2}$ and $f=-\Delta \varphi +\varphi +\sin \varphi$. These are smooth functions in the required spaces. With $q=|x{|}^2/L^2$,Hence $\Vert f{\Vert }_{\infty }\le a-1+6a/L^2<a=\Vert \varphi {\Vert }_{\infty }$. Moreover $V(s)=s^2/2+1-\cos s$ has $V^{\prime \prime }=1+\cos s\ge 0$, so the energy is convex and this critical point is a minimizer. The example therefore satisfies even the minimizing and $C^2$ hypotheses of the printed claim.

Take a smooth variation $u_{\epsilon }=u+\epsilon \varphi$ with $\varphi =0$ on the boundary. Assume enough differentiability for the following operations, for example a smooth bounded open set, $u\in C^2$, and a twice continuously differentiable integrand. Differentiation under the integral givesBy integration by parts, the boundary term vanishes and the first variation isStationarity for every such variation, including every compactly supported smooth one, and the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations give the Euler-Lagrange equationFor the quadratic integrand, $L_u=2k^{2}u$, $L_{u_x}=2u_x$, and $L_{u_y}=2u_y$. Thuswith the prescribed Dirichlet boundary condition. For real $k$, a stationary function is also the unique minimizer, if it exists: for any nonzero admissible $\varphi$, the linear term vanishes and $I[u+\varphi ]-I[u]={\int }_{\mathcal{D}}(|\nabla \varphi {|}^2+k^2{\varphi }^2)>0$. This last positivity uses the zero boundary values; it also holds at $k=0$.

Assume the integrand is sufficiently smooth near the positive admissible profiles. Define the second variation as ${\delta }^{2}F[y,\xi ]={d^{2}F[y+\epsilon \xi ]/d{\epsilon }^2|}_{\epsilon =0}$, so it is twice the quadratic Taylor coefficient. Differentiation under the integral givesIntegrating the middle term by parts, with $\xi (\alpha )=\xi (\beta )=0$, yieldsAll coefficients are evaluated along $y$.

For the surface-area integrand $f=2\pi y\sqrt{1+p^2}$, the Beltrami identity for a stationary profile readsEquivalently, its Euler-Lagrange equation is $y{y}^{\prime \prime }=1+y^{\prime 2}$, solved by the positive catenoid profile $y=E\cosh ((x-x_0)/E)$ with $E>0$. Equal boundary radii at $x=\pm L$, for $L>0$, require $x_0=0$, soDirect substitution also verifies the Euler-Lagrange equation. This is a stationary profile whenever a positive $E$ satisfying the boundary relation exists; such an $E$ does not exist for arbitrary ring separations and radii.

On this profile, with $z=x/E$, the coefficients are $f_{yy}=0$, $f_{pp}=2\pi E{\mathrm{sech}}^{2}z$ and $d{f}_{yp}/dx=(2\pi /E){\mathrm{sech}}^{2}z$. Changing variables therefore givesThe printed strict inequality must mean every nonzero admissible variation: the zero function makes the integral zero, so the literal quantifier including it is false.

For completeness, the strict positivity here is sufficient for a strict local minimum in the fixed-endpoint $C^1$ topology, among positive axisymmetric graph profiles. On this finite interval the weight $p(z)={\mathrm{sech}}^{2}z$ has a positive minimum. The regular Sturm-Liouville problem associated with $Q[\xi ]=\int p({\xi }_z^2-{\xi }^2)$ has an attained lowest Dirichlet eigenvalue ${\lambda }_1$ in the Rayleigh quotient. Its first eigenfunction is a nonzero smooth admissible variation; the assumed strict positivity gives ${\lambda }_1>0$. Hence $Q\ge {\lambda }_1\Vert \xi {\Vert }_{L^2}^2$. Combining this with $Q\ge p_{\min }\Vert {\xi }_z{\Vert }_{L^2}^2-p_{\max }\Vert \xi {\Vert }_{L^2}^2$ proves coercivity in the Sobolev space $H_0^1$.

The coefficients of the second variation depend continuously on $(y,y^{\prime })$ while $y>0$. For a sufficiently small $C^1$ perturbation, the quadratic forms along the segment from the stationary profile to the perturbed one retain a uniform positive coercivity bound. Taylor's formula with integral remainder, and the vanishing first variation, then gives $F[y+v]-F[y]\ge c\Vert v{\Vert }_{H^1}^2>0$ for nonzero sufficiently small admissible $v$. The stationary area is therefore a strict local minimum under the stated nonzero-variation condition. This supplies the uniform bound needed in an infinite-dimensional problem, rather than relying on pointwise positivity alone in an arbitrary function space.

Use the downward-positive displacement and the filament bending modulus $B$ and load density $w$ defined above. Two applications of integration by parts give the first variationThus the elastic-plus-gravitational force density is $-\delta E/\delta h=-B{h}_{xxxx}+w$. In resistive-force theory, transverse motion has drag per unit length $-{\zeta }_{\perp }{h}_t$. Neglecting filament and fluid inertia, instantaneous force balance gives the forced small-slope elastohydrodynamic filament equationClamping fixes position and tangent, while the free end has zero bending moment and zero transverse shear force. ThereforeThe last two conditions also follow as natural boundary conditions from the variation, since the free-end values of $\delta h$ and $\delta h_x$ are arbitrary. Distributed weight does not add a concentrated force or moment at the tip.

At steady state, $B{h}_s^{\prime \prime \prime \prime }=w$. Integrating first from the free end gives $h_s^{\prime \prime \prime }=(w/B)(x-L)$ and $h_s^{\prime \prime }=(w/2B)(x-L{)}^2$. Integrating twice more with the clamp conditions gives the uniform-load bending of a clamped filament:In particular the free-end displacement is $\delta =h_s(L)=w{L}^4/(8B)$ and the total buoyancy-corrected gravitational load is $F=wL$. Thus the tip stiffness of a uniformly loaded cantilever isThe last expression uses $A$ as Young's modulus; if $A$ itself is flexural rigidity, the same result reads $k_{\mathrm{eff}}=8A/L^3$. This is Hooke's law for the specified loading pattern. It is not the stiffness for a point force at the tip, which would be $3B/L^3$; replacing a distributed force by its resultant does not preserve its bending moment distribution.

For dimensional analysis, $[A]=$ force/length squared, $[I]=$ length to the fourth power, hence $[B]=$ force times length squared. Consequently $[B/L^3]=$ force/length, as required for a spring constant. Also $[{\zeta }_{\perp }]=$ force times time/length squared makes ${\zeta }_{\perp }{h}_t$, $B{h}_{xxxx}$ and $w$ all forces per unit length. Neither viscosity nor density enters the stiffness, although viscous drag controls the rate of approach to the steady shape. The small-slope approximation requires $w{L}^3/B\ll 1$, since $h_s^{\prime }(L)=w{L}^3/(6B)$.

For a variation $y+\epsilon \eta$ with $\eta ={\eta }^{\prime }=0$ at both endpoints, the first variation isTwo applications of integration by parts remove derivatives from $\eta$. The boundary terms vanish, and the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives the higher-order Euler-Lagrange equation

For the stated integrand,so the equation reduces toThe general solution of this linear ordinary differential equation isDecay and finiteness of the integral force $A=B=0$; $y(0)=1$ gives $C=1$, and $y^{\prime }(0)=2$ gives $D=3$. Hence the unique stationary function is

Write the admissible variation as $y_{\epsilon }=y+\epsilon \eta$, where $\eta (x)\to 0$ at both ends. Differentiating the functional under the integral sign gives the first variationAfter integration by parts, with the boundary term vanishing,Thus the Euler-Lagrange equation isA second differentiation gives the second variation

Take a variation $x+\epsilon \xi$ with $\xi (a)=\xi (b)=0$. Expanding the action givesAn integration by parts and the fixed endpoint conditions give the first variationThe fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations therefore yields the Euler-Lagrange equationand the second variation is

Linearizing the equation of motion about $x$ givesso the Jacobi equation isWhen $u$ has no zero on $[a,b]$,The total derivative integrates to zero because $\xi (a)=\xi (b)=0$, hence

For the simple harmonic oscillator, the Jacobi equation is $\ddot{u}+{\omega }^{2}u=0$. Put $t_0=(a+b)/2$ and chooseIf $b-a<\pi /\omega$, then $|\omega (t-t_0)|<\pi /2$ throughout $[a,b]$, so $u$ is positive there. The preceding square identity proves that the classical path is a local minimum of the action whenever the elapsed time is less than half an oscillation period.

Let $y_{\epsilon }=y+\epsilon \eta$, where the variation $\eta$ satisfies $\eta (a)=\eta (b)=0$. Differentiating the functional at $\epsilon =0$ gives its first variationUsing integration by parts and the fixed endpoint conditions,If this vanishes for every admissible $\eta$, the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives the Euler-Lagrange equation

Take a variation $y+\epsilon \eta$, where the differentiable function $\eta$ obeysbecause both $y$ and its first derivative have fixed endpoint values. The first variation of the functional isApplying integration by parts once to the second term and twice to the third givesThe endpoint conditions on $\eta$ and ${\eta }^{\prime }$ make every boundary term zero. Since the remaining integral vanishes for every admissible variation, the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations yields the higher-order Euler-Lagrange equation

Let $u\mapsto u+\epsilon \eta$ and $v\mapsto v+\epsilon \xi$, where the variations vanish on the boundary. The first variation isApplying integration by parts to the four derivative terms and discarding the boundary contributions givesThe variations $\eta$ and $\xi$ are independent and arbitrary in the interior. The fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations therefore gives the two Euler-Lagrange equations for two fields

For a compactly supported variation $v+t\varphi$, differentiation of the area functional at $t=0$ gives the first variationAfter integration by parts, this is the minimal surface equation for a graphFor $v_R(x)=R^{-1}v(Rx)$ one has $D{v}_R(x)=Dv(Rx)$. The equation is invariant under this scaling, so $v_R$ solves it on $B_1$ for every $R>0$.