On reflection symmetry and its application to the Euler–Lagrange equations in fractional mechanics
We study the properties of fractional differentiation with respect to the reflection symmetry in a finite interval. The representation and integration formulae are derived for symmetric and anti-symmetric fractional derivatives, both of the Riemann–Liouville and Caputo type. The action dependent on the left-sided Caputo derivatives of orders in the range (1,2) is considered and we derive the Euler–Lagrange equations for the symmetric and anti-symmetric part of the trajectory. The procedure is illustrated with an example of the action dependent linearly on fractional velocities. For the obtained Euler–Lagrange system, we discuss its localization resulting from the subsequent symmetrization of the action.