Lagrange’s equations are a system of second-order differential equations. In order to use them to compute the evolution of a mechanical system, we must find a suitable Lagrangian for the system. There is no general way to construct a Lagrangian for every system, but there is an important class of systems for which we can identify Lagrangians in a straightforward way in terms of kinetic and potential energy. The key idea is to construct a Lagrangian L such that Lagrange’s equations are Newton’s equations .

— 1.6 How to Find Lagrangians

— Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics

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2020.12.06 Sunday ACHK