Dispositions and the principle of least action

My aim is to argue for the incompatibility of one of the central principles of physics, namely the principle of least action (PLA), with the increasingly popular view that the world is, ultimately, merely something like a conglomerate of objects and irreducible dispositions. First, I argue that the essentialist implications many suppose this view has are not compatible with the PLA. Second, I argue that, irrespective of whether this view has any essentialist implications, it is not compatible with the kind of explanation that the PLA affords

Is the principle of least action a must?

The least action principle occupies a central part in contemporary physics. Yet, as far as classical field theory is concerned, it may not be as essential as generally thought. We show with three detailed examples of classical interacting field theories that it is possible, in cases of physical interest, to derive the correct field equations for all fields from the action (which we regard as defining the theory), some of its symmetries, and the conservation law of energy-momentum (this last regarded as ultimately coming from experiment)Comment: RevTeX, no figures, Eq. 3 corrected, a reference added, added sundry clarifying comments, no change in the results, 23 page

Maximum path information and the principle of least action for chaotic system

A path information is defined in connection with the different possible paths of chaotic system moving in its phase space between two cells. On the basis of the assumption that the paths are differentiated by their actions, we show that the maximum path information leads to a path probability distribution as a function of action from which the well known transition probability of Brownian motion can be easily derived. An interesting result is that the most probable paths are just the paths of least action. This suggests that the principle of least action, in a probabilistic situation, is equivalent to the principle of maximization of information or uncertainty associated with the probability distribution.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, 1 eps figure, Chaos, Solitons & Fractals (2004), in pres

The principle of least action and the geometric basis of D-branes

We analyze thoroughly the boundary conditions allowed in classical non-linear sigma models and derive from first principle the corresponding geometric objects, i.e. D-branes. In addition to giving classical D-branes an intrinsic and geometric foundation, D-branes in nontrivial H flux and D-branes embedded within D-branes are precisely defined. A well known topological condition on D-branes is replaced

Dispositions and the principle of least action revisited

Please refer to full text to view abstrac

Probabilistic and Geometric Languages in the Context of the Principle of Least Action

This paper explores the issue of the unification of three languages of physics, the geometric language of forces, geometric language of fields or 4-dimensional space-time, and probabilistic language of quantum mechanics. On the one hand, equations in each language may be derived from the Principle of Least Action (PLA). On the other hand, Feynman's path integral method could explain the physical meaning of PLA. The axioms of classical and relativistic mechanics can be considered as consequences of Feynman's formulation of quantum mechanics.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figures; translation from Russian correcte