Date: 1837 a branch of mathematics concerned with applying the methods of calculus to finding the maxima and minima of a function which depends for its values on another function or a curve
CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS
Meaning of CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS in English
Merriam Webster. Explanatory English dictionary Merriam Webster. Толковый словарь английского языка Мерриам-Уэбстер. 2012