Monday, 30 December 2019

lagrangian formalism - Use partial or covariant derivatives when deriving equations of a field theory?



I feel like this question has been asked before but I can't find it. would the Euler Lagrange equation for, say, the standard model Lagrangian be $$\frac{\partial L}{\partial \phi}=\partial_\mu \frac{\partial L}{\partial (\partial_\mu \phi)}$$ Where $\phi$ is whatever field is an question and $\mu$ is (I believe) being summed from 0 to 3. Or, ist the correct equation $$\frac{\partial L}{\partial \phi}=D_\mu \frac{\partial L}{\partial (D_\mu \phi)}$$ Where $D$ is the covariant derivative of the theory. My intuition tells me its the second eqn but i just wanted to be sure, and I think I once saw someone say that the two were equivalent.




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