Mathematical Sciences: The Variational Bicomplex: Theory and Applications

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The principal investigator will continue his research on the variational bicomplex. This theory was first introduced approximately fifteen years ago to provide a uniform approach to multi-integral problems in the calculus of variations. The bicomplex has also been used to solve inverse problems in calculus of variations. The variational bicomplex plays a role in the geometric theory of differential equations somewhat analogous to the role played by the deRham complex in finite dimensional manifolds. This theme will be developed in the research with application to specific examples a primary source of motivation. It is often useful to create a "calculus" or formalism which can be applied to a large number of problems of a class. The formalism being studied in this research applies to the class of problems known as variational problems. These problems arise naturally in a very wide range of circumstances in natural science. A simple example would be the problem of determining, among all curves on a surface connecting two points, the one with the shortest length.