Differentiation of functionals with variables coupled by constraints Analysis through a flu.pdfVIP

arXiv:physics/0701145 Differentiation of functionals with variables coupled by constraints: Analysis through a fluid-dynamical model Tamás Gál Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Debrecen, 4010 Debrecen, Hungary Email address: galt@phys.unideb.hu Abstract: Analysing an application in liquid film dynamics, a guide for obtaining the corresponding constrained functional derivatives for constraints coupling the functional variables is given. The use of constrained derivatives makes the proper account for constraints possible in time-dependent, nonequilibrium physical theories, with physical equations not emerging as Euler-Lagrange equations, which is especially relevant with respect to the dynamics of complex liquids. 1 In many fields of physics, requirement of the conservation of some extensive property limits the change of physical variables. If functional derivatives are involved in the equations that govern the change of physical variables, an account for the constraints needs to be made in functional differentiation. In the case the physical equation emerges as an Euler equation, from a variational procedure, determining the physical variable(s) as stationary point(s) of some functional A[ρ] , the well-known method of Lagrange multipliers gives an appropriate tool for the account for a constraint C[ρ] C , giving δ ρ δ ρ A[ ] C[ ] −µ 0 ( ) ( ) δρ x δρ x for the