Exactness of Lepage 2-forms and globally variational differential equations

Abstract

The exactness equation for Lepage 2-forms, associated with variational systems of ordinary differential equations on smooth manifolds, is analyzed with the aim to construct a concrete global variational principle. It is shown that locally variational systems defined by homogeneous functions of degree c = 0, 1 are automatically globally variational. A new constructive method of finding a global Lagrangian is described for these systems, which include for instance the geodesic equations in Riemann and Finsler geometry.2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 58A15; 58E30; 34A26; 53C22.