Substantive general covariance and the Einstein-Klein dispute: A Noetherian approach
Abstract
Famously, Klein and Einstein were embroiled in an epistolary dispute over whether General Relativity has any physically meaningful conserved quantities. In this paper, we explore the consequences of Noether's second theorem for this debate, and connect it to Einstein's search for a `substantive' version of general covariance as well as his quest to extend the Principle of Relativity. We will argue that Noether's second theorem provides a clear way to distinguish between theories in which gauge or diffeomorphism symmetry is doing real work in defining charges, as opposed to cases in which this symmetry stems from Kretchmannization. Finally, we comment on the relationship between this Noetherian form of substantive general covariance and the notion of `background independence'.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2109.08516,
title = {Substantive general covariance and the Einstein-Klein dispute: A Noetherian approach},
author = {Laurent Freidel and Nicholas Teh},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.08516},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Forthcoming in The Philosophy and Physics of Noether's Theorems: A Centenary Volume, Cambridge University Press 2021, edited by James Read and Nicholas Teh