On variational problems involving higher order derivatives

Fritz John, and Karush-Kuhn-Tucker type optimality conditions for a constrained variational problem invoving higher order derivatives are obtained. As an application of these Karush-Kuhn-Tucker type optimality conditions, Wolfe and Mond-Weir type duals are formulated, and various duality relationships between the primal problem and each of the duals are established under invexity and generalized invexity. It is also shown that our results can be viewed as dynamic generalizations of those of the mathematical programming already reported in the literature.