This clear and concise textbook provides a rigorous introduction to the
calculus of variations, depending on functions of one variable and their
first derivatives. It is based on a translation of a German edition of
the book Variationsrechnung (Vieweg+Teubner Verlag, 2010), translated
and updated by the author himself. Topics include: the Euler-Lagrange
equation for one-dimensional variational problems, with and without
constraints, as well as an introduction to the direct methods. The book
targets students who have a solid background in calculus and linear
algebra, not necessarily in functional analysis. Some advanced
mathematical tools, possibly not familiar to the reader, are given along
with proofs in the appendix. Numerous figures, advanced problems and
proofs, examples, and exercises with solutions accompany the book,
making it suitable for self-study.
The book will be particularly useful for beginning graduate students
from the physical, engineering, and mathematical sciences with a
rigorous theoretical background.