calculus of variations
noun phrase
: a branch of mathematics concerned with applying the methods of calculus to finding the maxima and minima of a function which depends for its values on another function or a curve
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Calculus of Variations Tyagi employed a technique called the calculus of variations.
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Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2025
Euler’s method of discretization eventually evolved into the powerful calculus of variations, which served as the standard for solving optimization problems until about the 1960s.
—Nazareth Bedrossian, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2012
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Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2025
Euler’s method of discretization eventually evolved into the powerful calculus of variations, which served as the standard for solving optimization problems until about the 1960s.
—Nazareth Bedrossian, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2012
Cite this Entry
“Calculus of variations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calculus%20of%20variations. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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