Calculus of Variations II (Hardcover, 1st ed. 1996. Corr. 2nd printing 2004)

This long-awaited book by two of the foremost researchers and writers in the field is the first part of a treatise that will cover the subject in breadth and depth, paying special attention to the historical origins, partly in applications, e.g. from geometrical optics, of parts of the theory. A variety of aids to the reader are provided: the detailed table of contents, an introduction to each chapter, section and subsection, an overview of the relevant liter- ature (in Vol. 2) plus the references in the Scholia to each chapter, in the (historical) footnotes, and in the biblio- graphy, and finally an index of the examples used throughout the book. Later volumes will deal with direct methods and regularity theory. Both individually and collectively these volumes will undoubtedly become standard references.