Functional Approach to Classical Yang-Mills Theories

Sometime ago it was shown that the operatorial approach to classical mechanics, pioneered in the 30's by Koopman and von Neumann, can have a functional version. In this talk we will extend this functional approach to the case of classical field theories and in particular to the Yang-Mills ones. We shall show that the issues of gauge-fixing and Faddeev-Popov determinant arise also in this classical formalism.Comment: 4 pages, Contribution to the Proceedings of the International Meeting "Quantum Gravity and Spectral Geometry" (Naples, July 2-7, 2001

A dynamical inconsistency of Horava gravity

The dynamical consistency of the non-projectable version of Horava gravity is investigated by focusing on the asymptotically flat case. It is argued that for generic solutions of the constraint equations the lapse must vanish asymptotically. We then consider particular values of the coupling constants for which the equations are tractable and in that case we prove that the lapse must vanish everywhere -- and not only at infinity. Put differently, the Hamiltonian constraints are generically all second-class. We then argue that the same feature holds for generic values of the couplings, thus revealing a physical inconsistency of the theory. In order to cure this pathology, one might want to introduce further constraints but the resulting theory would then lose much of the appeal of the original proposal by Horava. We also show that there is no contradiction with the time reparametrization invariance of the action, as this invariance is shown to be a so-called "trivial gauge symmetry" in Horava gravity, hence with no associated first-class constraints.Comment: 28 pages, 2 references adde

Generalized Smarr relation for Kerr AdS black holes from improved surface integrals

By using suitably improved surface integrals, we give a unified geometric derivation of the generalized Smarr relation for higher dimensional Kerr black holes which is valid both in flat and in anti-de Sitter backgrounds. The improvement of the surface integrals, which allows one to use them simultaneously at infinity and on the horizon, consists in integrating them along a path in solution space. Path independence of the improved charges is discussed and explicitly proved for the higher dimensional Kerr AdS black holes. It is also shown that the charges for these black holes can be correctly computed from the standard Hamiltonian or Lagrangian surface integrals.Comment: 21 pages Latex file, 1 figure; discussion on integrability rectified, typo in (2.14) correcte

On the transformations of hamiltonian gauge algebra under rotations of constraints

By explicit calculation of the effect of a ghost-dependent canonical transformation of BRST-charge, we derive the corresponding transformation law for structure coefficients of hamiltonian gauge algebra under rotation of constraints.We show the transformation law to deviate from the behaviour (expected naively) characteristic to a genuine connection.Comment: 11 pages, some misprints remove

BRST-anti-BRST Antifield formalism : The Example of the Freedman-Townsend Model

The general BRST-anti-BRST construction in the framework of the antifield-antibracket formalism is illustrated in the case of the Freedmann-Townsend model.Comment: 16 pages, Latex file, Latex errors corrected, otherwise unchange

General Covariance in Quantum Gravity at a Lifshitz Point

In the minimal formulation of gravity with Lifshitz-type anisotropic scaling, the gauge symmetries of the system are foliation-preserving diffeomorphisms of spacetime. Consequently, compared to general relativity, the spectrum contains an extra scalar graviton polarization. Here we investigate the possibility of extending the gauge group by a local U(1) symmetry to "nonrelativistic general covariance." This extended gauge symmetry eliminates the scalar graviton, and forces the coupling constant $\lambda$ in the kinetic term of the minimal formulation to take its relativistic value, $\lambda=1$. The resulting theory exhibits anisotropic scaling at short distances, and reproduces many features of general relativity at long distances.Comment: 41 pages; v2: small clarifications, references adde

Bianchi Cosmological Models and Gauge Symmetries

We analyze carefully the problem of gauge symmetries for Bianchi models, from both the geometrical and dynamical points of view. Some of the geometrical definitions of gauge symmetries (=``homogeneity preserving diffeomorphisms'') given in the literature do not incorporate the crucial feature that local gauge transformations should be independent at each point of the manifold of the independent variables ( = time for Bianchi models), i.e, should be arbitrarily localizable ( in time). We give a geometrical definition of homogeneity preserving diffeomorphisms that does not possess this shortcoming. The proposed definition has the futher advantage of coinciding with the dynamical definition based on the invariance of the action ( in Lagrangian or Hamiltonian form). We explicitly verify the equivalence of the Lagrangian covariant phase space with the Hamiltonian reduced phase space. Remarks on the use of the Ashtekar variables in Bianchi models are also given.Comment: 16 pages, Latex file, ULB-PMIF-92/1

An effective Hamiltonian for 2D black hole Physics

In another application of the methods of Henneaux, Teitelboim, and Vergara developed for diffeomorphisms invariant models, the CGHS theory of 2D black holes is focused in order to obtain the true degrees of freedom, the simplectic structure and the {\it effective} Hamiltonian that rules the dynamics in reduced phase-space.Comment: To appear in Europhysics Letter

Algebra of chiral currents on the physical surface

Using a particular structure for the Lagrangian action in a one-dimensional Thirring model and performing the Dirac's procedure, we are able to obtain the algebra for chiral currents which is entirely defied on the constraint surface in the corresponding hamiltonian description of the theory.Comment: 10 page

BRST quantization of matrix models with constraints and two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory on the cylinder

BRST quantization of the one-dimensional constrained matrix model which describes two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory on the cylinder is performed. Classical and quantum BRST generators and BRST-invariant hamiltonians are constructed. Evolution operator is expressed in terms of BRST path integral. Advantages of the BRST quantization over the reduced phase space approach leading to the theory of $N$ free fermions are discussed.Comment: 8 page