Consider the minimization of a possibly noncoercive Gâteaux differentiable functional . A modified notion of coercivity is introduced which may be usable to show existence of a minimum. Alternatively, has a minimum at ( not differentiable but the restriction F of to differentiable), one may be able to show is actually in . The latter case is related to justification of formally calculated “necessary conditions” for optimal controls. The arguments are applications of [1.], 324–353).