Mechanics of particles and systems Lagrangian mechanics Concept
Action
Summary
The action of a mechanical system is a number attached to each path of the system, usually the integral of the Lagrangian over time. By the stationary-action principle, the actual motions are the paths at which the action is stationary. It has the dimension of energy times time, the same as Planck's constant. The action is the central object of the variational formulation of mechanics and of field theory.
Where this leads
16 pages build on this one.
- Mathematical formulation of the Standard Model
- Relativistic Lagrangian of a free particle
- Path integral formulation
- Schwinger model
- Gauge theory
- Hamilton's principal function
- Yang–Mills theory
- Quantum electrodynamics
- String theory
- Polyakov action
- 't Hooft–Polyakov monopole
- Quantum chromodynamics
- Nambu–Goto action
- Separation of variables in the Hamilton–Jacobi equation
- Higgs mechanism
- Seiberg–Witten theory
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | T0WAGV4KP4 |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://T0WAGV4KP4 |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 70H25, 70H30, 49S05 |
| Same as | |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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Used by
- Relativistic Lagrangian of a free particle
- Path integral formulation
- Gauge theory
- Hamilton's principal function
- Polyakov action
- Nambu–Goto action