Principle of Least Stationary Action
Stationary means: small changes to the path do not change the action δS=0.
Controls
Number of trial paths
25
Gravity g
9.8
Total travel time T
4.0
Path curvature amplitude
2.0
Show Phase
Pause
Best Path Only
Information
This simulation compares many possible trajectories between two fixed points. For each path, it calculates the action:
S = ∫(T - V) dt
The highlighted cyan path is the one with the smallest action among the tested paths.
Action Graph