INTRODUCTION TO VARIATIONAL METHODS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20873/pibic2022_9%20

Abstract

Variational methods are techniques developed and applied to solve certain differential equations, finding critical points of a functional associated with such equation. The main objective of this research is to determine sufficient conditions for some ordinary differential equations (ODEs) to have solutions via variational methods. For this purpose, the concept of weak derivative was initially defined, followed by the well-known Sobolev spaces. In these spaces, the so-called weak solution of the given differential equation was established in order to later solve the ODE, that is, to find one of its possible solutions. As for the methodology used in this article, it is an exploratory and bibliographic research with a qualitative approach. The results of this study highlight the use of the Mountain Pass Theorem, which provides some conditions of the functional, including the Palais-Smale condition, under which the functional associated with the equation has a critical point. It is concluded at the end of the research that the methods in question are a powerful tool for solving certain ordinary differential equations, whose traditional methods are not sufficient to solve.

Author Biography

Thafne Sirqueira Carvalho, Federal University of Tocantins

Former student of the Mathematics Teaching degree program at the Federal University of Tocantins.

Published

2023-04-28

How to Cite

Junior, J. C. de O., & Carvalho, T. S. (2023). INTRODUCTION TO VARIATIONAL METHODS. DESAFIOS - Revista Interdisciplinar Da Universidade Federal Do Tocantins, 10(Especial 1). https://doi.org/10.20873/pibic2022_9