On a class of polynomial Lagrangians

In the framework of finite order variational sequences a new class of Lagrangians arises, namely, \emph{special} Lagrangians. These Lagrangians are the horizontalization of forms on a jet space of lower order. We describe their properties together with properties of related objects, such as Poincar\'e--Cartan and Euler--Lagrange forms, momenta and momenta of generating forms, a new geometric object arising in variational sequences. Finally, we provide a simple but important example of special Lagrangian, namely the Hilbert--Einstein Lagrangian.Comment: LaTeX2e, amsmath, diagrams, hyperref; 15 page

Some aspects of the homogeneous formalism in Field Theory and gauge invariance

We propose a suitable formulation of the Hamiltonian formalism for Field Theory in terms of Hamiltonian connections and multisymplectic forms where a composite fibered bundle, involving a line bundle, plays the role of an extended configuration bundle. This new approach can be interpreted as a suitable generalization to Field Theory of the homogeneous formalism for Hamiltonian Mechanics. As an example of application, we obtain the expression of a formal energy for a parametrized version of the Hilbert--Einstein Lagrangian and we show that this quantity is conserved.Comment: 9 pages, slightly revised, to appear in Proc. Winter School "Geometry and Physics", Srni (CZ) 200

Global Generalized Bianchi Identities for Invariant Variational Problems on Gauge-natural Bundles

We derive both {\em local} and {\em global} generalized {\em Bianchi identities} for classical Lagrangian field theories on gauge-natural bundles. We show that globally defined generalized Bianchi identities can be found without the {\em a priori} introduction of a connection. The proof is based on a {\em global} decomposition of the {\em variational Lie derivative} of the generalized Euler--Lagrange morphism and the representation of the corresponding generalized Jacobi morphism on gauge-natural bundles. In particular, we show that {\em within} a gauge-natural invariant Lagrangian variational principle, the gauge-natural lift of infinitesimal principal automorphism {\em is not} intrinsically arbitrary. As a consequence the existence of {\em canonical} global superpotentials for gauge-natural Noether conserved currents is proved without resorting to additional structures.Comment: 24 pages, minor changes, misprints corrected, a misprint in the coordinate expression of the Jacobi morphism corrected; final version to appear in Arch. Math. (Brno

Conservation Laws and Variational Sequences in Gauge-Natural Theories

In the classical Lagrangian approach to conservation laws of gauge-natural field theories a suitable (vector) density is known to generate the so--called {\em conserved Noether currents}. It turns out that along any section of the relevant gauge--natural bundle this density is the divergence of a skew--symmetric (tensor) density, which is called a {\em superpotential} for the conserved currents. We describe gauge--natural superpotentials in the framework of finite order variational sequences according to Krupka. We refer to previous results of ours on {\em variational Lie derivatives} concerning abstract versions of Noether's theorems, which are here interpreted in terms of ``horizontal'' and ``vertical'' conserved currents. The gauge--natural lift of principal automorphisms implies suitable linearity properties of the Lie derivative operator. Thus abstract results due to Kol\'a\v{r}, concerning the integration by parts procedure, can be applied to prove the {\em existence} and {\em globality} of superpotentials in a very general setting.Comment: 16 pages, slightly revised version of a paper appeared in Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. So

Symmetries of Helmholtz forms and globally variational dynamical forms

Invariance properties of classes in the variational sequence suggested to Krupka et al. the idea that there should exist a close correspondence between the notions of variationality of a differential form and invariance of its exterior derivative. It was shown by them that the invariance of a closed Helmholtz form of a dynamical form is equivalent with local variationality of the Lie derivative of the dynamical form, so that the latter is locally the Euler--Lagrange form of a Lagrangian. We show that the corresponding local system of Euler--Lagrange forms is variationally equivalent to a global Euler--Lagrange form.Comment: Presented at QTS7 - Quantum Theory and Symmetries VII, Prague 7-13/08/201