lagrange量中的u和v的来历

经典力学中的分析力学经常用到的几个字母辨析，拉格朗日量中L=T-V。L代表拉格朗日量，T代表travel动能，V代表W的一般潜功即势能。有时用Ek：kinetic energy,Ep：potential energy代表。

Potential energy, expressed in science as U , is energy that is stored within an object, not in motion but capable of becoming active. When at rest, every object has rest mass potential energy; if the object is in a position to be affected by gravity and to fall, it has gravitational potential energy. Once an object is in motion, potential energy is converted to kinetic energy , which is the energy of motion.

There are a number of kinds of potential energy. The pendulum of a clock, at the top of its swing, has gravitational potential energy which is converted to kinetic energy as it falls. Elastic potential energy is present in an object that can be stretched out and rebound, like an elastic. The potential energy is stored when an elastic is stretched, and converted to kinetic energy when the elastic is released. Other types of potential energy include chemical, which is related to the formation of chemical bonds and electrical, expressed as voltage .

Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis and Jean-Victor Poncelet used the name "quantité de travail" (quantity of work) and "travail mécanique" (mechanical work) to denote the kinetic energy. I guess that this (the term "travail") could be the origin of the symbol T

. See at the end of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vis_viva

I thought that it might be because it was close to U and V in the alphabetical order. It was just a speculation of mine, anyway. –