Related papers: Exorcising the Ostrogradsky ghost in coupled syste…
Modifications of General Relativity usually include extra dynamical degrees of freedom, which to date remain undetected. Here we explore the possibility of modifying Einstein's theory by adding solely nondynamical fields. With the minimal…
We show that the strong self-interaction of the scalar polarization of a massive graviton can be understood in terms of the propagation of an extra ghost-like degree of freedom, thus relating strong coupling to the sixth degree of freedom…
In the first order formalism of gravitational theories, the spacetime connection is considered as an independent variable to vary together with the metric. However, the metric still generates its Levi-Civita connection that turns out to…
The aim of this work is to discuss some aspects of the reduction of order formalism in the context of the Fadeev-Jackiw symplectic formalism, both at the classical and the quantum level. We start by reviewing the symplectic analysis in a…
We obtain new regularity conditions for problems of calculus of variations with higher-order derivatives. As a corollary, we get non-occurrence of the Lavrentiev phenomenon. Our main regularity result asserts that autonomous integral…
We consider the Lagrangian of a vector field with derivative self-interactions with a priori arbitrary coefficients. Starting with a flat space-time we show that for a special choice of the coefficients of the self-interactions the…
To overcome the difficulties with the energy indefiniteness in field theories with higher derivatives, it is supposed to use the mechanical analogy, the Timoshenko theory of the transverse flexural vibrations of beams or rods well known in…
We give a proof of the most general multiple scalar field theory in flat space-time free of Ostrogradski ghosts. We start from the assumption that the action is a functional of the scalar fields and their derivatives of order upto two…
We discuss exactly solvable systems involving integrals of motion with higher powers of momenta. If one of these integrals is chosen for the Hamiltonian, we obtain a higher-derivative system involving ghosts, i.e. a system whose Hamiltonian…
Laws of motion given in terms of differential equations can not always be derived from an action principle, at least not without introducing auxiliary variables. By allowing auxiliary variables, e.g. in the form of Lagrange multipliers, an…
By means of a simple scalar field theory it is demonstrated that the Lagrange formalism and Ostrogradsky's Hamilton formalism in the presence of higher derivatives, in general, do not lead to the same results. While the two approaches are…
This paper addresses both necessary and relevant sufficient extremum conditions for a variational problem defined by a smooth Lagrangian, involving higher derivatives of several variable vector valued functions. A general formulation of…
The inclusion of higher derivatives is a necessary condition for a renormalizable or superrenormalizable local theory of quantum gravity. On the other hand, higher derivatives lead to classical instabilities and a loss of unitarity at the…
We analyze the relation between the concept of auxiliary variables and the Inverse problem of the calculus of variations to construct a Lagrangian from a given set of equations of motion. The problem of the construction of a consistent…
We investigate the cosmological applications of new gravitational scalar-tensor theories and we analyze them in the light of $H_0$ tension. In these theories the Lagrangian contains the Ricci scalar and its first and second derivatives in a…
The role of higher derivative operators in 4D effective field theories is discussed in both non-supersymmetric and supersymmetric contexts. The approach, formulated in the Minkowski space-time, shows that theories with higher derivative…
In this Thesis we develop the geometric formulations for higher-order autonomous and non-autonomous dynamical systems, and second-order field theories. In all cases, the physical information of the system is given in terms of a Lagrangian…
A simple variational Lagrangian is proposed for the time development of an arbitrary density matrix, employing the "factorization" of the density. Only the "kinetic energy" appears in the Lagrangian. The formalism applies to pure and mixed…
We are able to derive the equations of motion for forced mechanical systems in a purely variational setting, both in the context of Lagrangian or Hamiltonian mechanics, by duplicating the variables of the system as introduced by Galley…
We present a novel way to constrain the ghost field with respect to other physical fields present in a given theory such that the theory becomes quantizable. This is achieved by imposing positivity of the total kinetic energy of the system…