The mass of spacelike hypersurfaces in asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-times. (Q1854205)

There are many alternative methods to define mass for spacelike hypersurfaces in space-times with metrics which are asymptotic to the anti-de Sitter space-time (an extended discussion can be found in [J. Math. Phys. 42, 1779--1817 (2001; Zbl 1009.83009)]). The paper gives also a very detailed exposition of the subject. A Hamiltonian definition of the mass is given, different from that considered by \textit{M. Henneaux} and \textit{C. Teitelboim} in [Commun. Math. Phys. 98, 391--424 (1985; Zbl 1032.83502)] and the same with that given by \textit{L. F. Abbott} and \textit{S. Deser} in [Nucl. Phys. B 195, 76--96 (1982; Zbl 0900.53033)], under asymptotic conditions. The key advantage of the Hamiltonian definition is the uniqueness of the candidate expression for the energy, which appears new from the previous approaches. Some of the results proved in the paper have been independently observed by \textit{X. Wang} in [J. Differ. Geom. 57, 273--299 (2001; Zbl 1037.53017)]. Some extensions or new formulations of certain results in the paper are given by the first author in subsequent papers (for example in math.DG/0110035 (with M. Herzlich), using a purely Riemannian context).