Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / ib / Paper 2 / 13D (Variational Principles)

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.