It is shown that the Lagrange's equations for a Lagrangian system on a Lie algebroid are obtained as the equations for the critical points of the action functional defined on a Banach manifold of curves. The theory of Lagrangian reduction and the relation with the method of Lagrange multipliers are also studied.
The standard techniques of variational calculus are geometrically stated in the ambient of fiber bundles endowed with a (pre)multisymplectic structure. Then, for the corresponding variational equations, conserved quantities (or, what is equivalent, conservation laws), symmetries, Cartan (Noether) symmetries, gauge symmetries and different versions of Noether's theorem are studied in this ambient. In this way, this constitutes a general geometric framework for all these topics that includes, as special...