Related papers: Ghost-free higher-derivative theory
We extend the perturbative approach developed in an earlier work to deal with Lagrangians which have arbitrary higher order time derivative terms for both bosons and fermions. This approach enables us to find an effective Lagrangian with…
With an appropriate choice of parameters, a higher derivative theory of gravity can describe a normal massive sector and a ghost massless sector. We show that, when defined on an asymptotically de Sitter spacetime with Dirichlet boundary…
Ostrogradsky's method allows one to construct Hamiltonian formulation for a higher derivative system. An application of this approach to the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator yields the Hamiltonian which is unbounded from below. This leads to the…
The alternative version of Hamiltonian formalism for higher-derivative theories is proposed. As compared with the standard Ostrogradski approach it has the following advantages: (i) the Lagrangian, when expressed in terms of new variables…
We present for the first time a ghost-free higher-derivative chiral model with a propagating auxiliary F-term field (highest component of the chiral multiplet). We obtain this model by removing a ghost in a higher derivative chiral model,…
The Pais-Uhlenbeck model is a quantum theory described by a higher-derivative field equation. It has been believed for many years that this model possesses ghost states (quantum states of negative norm) and therefore that this model is a…
A general theory is presented of quantum mechanics of singular, non-autonomous, higher derivative systems. Within that general theory, $n$-th order and $m$-th order Lagrangians are shown to be quantum mechanically equivalent if their…
It is shown that a given non-autonomous system of two first-order ordinary differential equations can be expressed in Hamiltonian form. The derivation presented here allow us to obtain previously known results such as the infinite number of…
We quantize a classically stable system of a harmonic oscillator polynomially coupled to a ghost with negative kinetic energy. We prove that due to an integral of motion with a positive discrete spectrum: i) the Hamiltonian has a pure point…
An equation is obtained to find the Lagrangian for a one-dimensional autonomous system. The continuity of the first derivative of its constant of motion is assumed. This equation is solved for a generic nonconservative autonomous system…
We discuss a covariant extension of interactions between scalar fields and fermions in a flat space-time. We show, in a covariant theory, how to evade fermionic ghosts appearing because of the extra degrees of freedom behind a fermionic…
We show that statistics is crucial for the instability problem derived from higher time derivatives. In fact, and contrary to previous statements, we check that when dealing with Fermi systems, the Hamiltonian is well bounded and the…
We prove that higher-derivative and genuinely nonlocal Lagrangian systems can be Lyapunov-stable even when their Hamiltonians lack a lower bound. Explicit free and coupled Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillators, together with a genuine nonlocal model,…
Described is n-level quantum system realized in the n-dimensional ''Hilbert'' space H with the scalar product G taken as a dynamical variable. The most general Lagrangian for the wave function and G is considered. Equations of motion and…
A short review of basic formulas from Hamiltonian formalism in classical mechanics in the case when Lagrangian contains N time-derivatives of n coordinate variables. For non-local models N=infinity.
In this paper we revisit the dynamical dark energy model building based on single scalar field involving higher derivative terms. By imposing a degenerate condition on the higher derivatives in curved spacetime, one can select the models…
We consider the class of higher derivative field equations whose wave operator is a square of another self-adjoint operator of lower order. At the free level, the models of this class are shown to admit a two-parameter series of integrals…
We remark that Ostrogradsky ghosts in higher-derivative gravity, with a finite number of derivatives, are fictitious as they result from an unjustified truncation performed in a complete theory containing infinitely many curvature…
An extension of the bimetric theory of gravity is considered that includes quadratic Ricci curvature terms associated with each metric. The issue of the Boulware-Deser ghost is analyzed. The Hamiltonian constraint is derived and the…
We investigate an exactly solvable two-dimensional Lorentzian coupled quantum system that in a certain parameter regime can be transformed to a higher time derivative theory (HTDT) with preserved symplectic structure. By transforming the…