We show how the sticky dynamics for the one-dimensional pressureless Euler-alignment system can be obtained as an \(L^2\) -gradient flow of a convex functional. This is analogous to the Lagrangian evolution introduced by Natile and Savaré for the pressureless Euler system, and by Brenier et al. for the corresponding system with a self-interacting force field. Our Lagrangian evolution can be seen as the limit of sticky particle Cucker–Smale dynamics, similar to the solutions obtained by Leslie and Tan from a corresponding scalar balance law, and provides us with a uniquely determined distributional solution of the original system in the space of probability measures with quadratic moments and corresponding square-integrable velocities. Moreover, we show that the gradient flow also provides an entropy solution to the balance law of Leslie and Tan, and how their results on cluster formation follow naturally from (non-)monotonicity properties of the so-called natural velocity of the flow.
