6 ms·

Least is not the same as stationary.

• dannymi 4y ago
  It's not, but sloppy terms are common there. People who use the words "principle of least action" and "the principle of stationary action" usually mean the same thing.
• vmilner 4y ago
  Maybe so, but I was quoting Feynman: “When I was in high school, my physics teacher—whose name was Mr. Bader—called me down one day after physics class and said, ‘You look bored; I want to tell you something interesting.’ Then he told me something which I found absolutely fascinating, and have, since then, always found fascinating. Every time the subject comes up, I work on it. In fact, when I began to prepare this lecture I found myself making more analyses on the thing. Instead of worrying about the lecture, I got involved in a new problem. The subject is this—the principle of least action." - Richard Feynman ( https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_19.html )