Covariant canonical formalism of fields (Q1283471)

In classical particle dynamics, the canonical transformations that leave the form of Hamiltonian equations invariant are well known. Here the author proposes similar canonical formalisms of classical field theory consistent with the principle of special relativity: the dynamical equations, Poisson brackets, and field observables are preserved. Assuming a first-order Lagrangian \(L= L(q,\partial q)\) and the relevant Hamiltonian \(H= \sum \pi_\alpha\partial_0 q^\alpha- L\), the author shows that canonical transformations are determined by four generating functions \(F= F^\mu(q(x,t), q'(x,t))\) with \(\mu= 0,1,2,3\). Then the identities \(\pi_\alpha= \partial F^0/\partial q^\alpha\), \(\pi_\alpha'= -\partial F^0/\partial q^{\prime\alpha}\), \(p^i_\alpha= \partial F^i/\partial q^\alpha\), \(p^{\prime i}= -\partial F^i/\partial q^{\prime\alpha}\) \((i= 1,2,3)\) ensure that \(H'= H+\nabla F\) with a divergence term. The case of electromagnetic field is considered as an explicit example.