A First-Principles Implementation of Scale Invariance Using Best Matching

We present a first-principles implementation of spatial scale invariance as a local gauge symmetry in geometry dynamics using the method of best matching . In addition to the 3-metric, the proposed scale invariant theory also contains a 3-vector potential $A_k$ as a dynamical variable. Although some of the mathematics is similar to Weyl's ingenious but physically questionable theory, the equations of motion of this new theory are second order in time-derivatives. Thereby we avoid the problems associated with fourth order time derivatives that plague Weyl's original theory. It is tempting to try to interpret the vector potential $A_k$ as the electromagnetic field. We exhibit four independent reasons for not giving into this temptation. A more likely possibility is that it can play the role of "dark matter". Indeed, as noted in scale invariance seems to play a role in the MOND phenomenology. Spatial boundary conditions are derived from the free-endpoint variation method and a preliminary analysis of the constraints and their propagation in the Hamiltonian formulation is presented.