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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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.
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Nazareth Bedrossian, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2012
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Nazareth Bedrossian, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Oct. 2012
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“Calculus of variations.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calculus%20of%20variations. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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