English

Order reduction, projectability and constraints of second-order field theories and higher-order mechanics

Mathematical Physics 2017-12-29 v2 math.MP

Abstract

The projectability of Poincar\'e-Cartan forms in a third-order jet bundle J3πJ^3\pi onto a lower-order jet bundle is a consequence of the degenerate character of the corresponding Lagrangian. This fact is analyzed using the constraint algorithm for the associated Euler-Lagrange equations in J3πJ^3\pi. The results are applied to study the Hilbert Lagrangian for the Einstein equations (in vacuum) from a multisymplectic point of view. Thus we show how these equations are a consequence of the application of the constraint algorithm to the geometric field equations, meanwhile the other constraints are related with the fact that this second-order theory is equivalent to a first-order theory. Furthermore, the case of higher-order mechanics is also studied as a particular situation.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1604.02074,
  title  = {Order reduction, projectability and constraints of second-order field theories and higher-order mechanics},
  author = {Jordi Gaset and Narciso Román-Roy},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1604.02074},
  year   = {2017}
}

Comments

12 pages. Section 3 has been significantly enlarged (the Hilbert-Einstein Lagrangian is explained in more detail). The proofs of theorems 1 and 2 have been slightly enlarged to better explain the constraint algorithm. Some misprints have been corrected. The bibliography has been updated and some additional references are added. To be published in Reports on Mathematical Physics