Discrete-Time Fractional Variational Problems

Abstract

We introduce a discrete-time fractional calculus of variations on the time scale $h\mathbb{Z}$, $h > 0$. First and second order necessary optimality conditions are established. Examples illustrating the use of the new Euler-Lagrange and Legendre type conditions are given. They show that solutions to the considered fractional problems become the classical discrete-time solutions when the fractional order of the discrete-derivatives are integer values, and that they converge to the fractional continuous-time solutions when $h$ tends to zero. Our Legendre type condition is useful to eliminate false candidates identified via the Euler-Lagrange fractional equation.