An extended Lagrangian formalism

Abstract

A simple formal procedure makes the main properties of the lagrangian binomial extendable to functions depending to any kind of order of the time--derivatives of the lagrangian coordinates. Such a broadly formulated binomial can provide the lagrangian components, in the classical sense of the Newton's law, for a quite general class of forces. At the same time, the generalized equations of motions recover some of the classical alternative formulations of the Lagrangian equations.