The principle of least action: history of a long controversy

摘要

We propose to describe the conditions of birth of the principle of least action as well as controversies related to the appearance of this principle which, although first stated for the phenomena of the propagation of light, was intended very early to replace Leibnizian and Cartesian conservation principles as a new inclusive principle of physics. It is of prime interest to notice that the early controversies involving this principle show the difficulties toward formulation of a metaphysical presumption shared almost by all scientists of XVIIIe: Nature always acts by the simplest way.