  The so-called inverse problem of dynamics is about constructing a potential
for a given family of curves. We observe that there is a more general way of
posing the problem by making use of ideas of another inverse problem, namely
the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. We critically review and
clarify different aspects of the current state of the art of the problem
(mainly restricted to the case of planar curves), and then develop our more
general approach.
