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    STUDIA MATHEMATICA - Issue no. 2 / 2006  
         
  Article:   BOOK REVIEWS - JONATHAN M. BORWEIN AND QIJI J. ZHU, TECHNIQUES OF VARIATIONAL ANALYSIS, CANADIAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY (CMS) BOOKS IN MATHEMATICS, VOL. 20, SPRINGER 2005, VI+362 PP, ISBN 3-387-24298-8..

Authors:  ŞTEFAN COBZAŞ. 		 
       
         
  Abstract:  The term variational analysis concerns methods of proofs based on the fact that an appropriate auxiliary function attains a minimum, and has its roots in the physical principle of the least action. Probably that the first illustration of this method is Johann Bernoulli’s solution to the Brachistocrone problem which led to the development of variational calculus. A significant impact on variational analysis was done by the development of nonsmooth analysis, making possible the use of calculus of nonsmooth functions and enlarging substantially the area of applications. Other powerful tools are the decoupling method (a nonconvex substitute for Fenchel conjugacy and Hahn-Banach theorem from convex analysis), alongside with variational principles.  
         
     
         
         
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