Lagrange's equations

Lagrange's equations [lə′grän·jəz i‚kwā·zhənz]

(mechanics)

Equations of motion of a mechanical system for which a classical (non-quantum-mechanical) description is suitable, and which relate the kinetic energy of the system to the generalized coordinates, the generalized forces, and the time. Also known as Lagrangian equations of motion.

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Lagrange's equations

Equations of motion of a mechanical system for which a classical (non-quantum-mechanical) description is suitable, and which relate the kinetic energy of the system to the generalized coordinates, the generalized forces, and the time. If the configuration of the system is specified by giving the values of f independent quantities q₁,…, q_f, there are f such equations of motion.

In their usual form, these equations are equivalent to Newton's second law of motion and are differential equations of the second order for the q's as functions of the time t.