Constraining the physical state by symmetries

DOI10.1016/J.AOP.2017.01.002zbMATH Open1367.83039arXiv1605.03888OpenAlexW2394393717MaRDI QIDQ2012458FDOQ2012458

Authors: G. Magnano, Lorenzo Fatibene, M. Ferraris 

Publication date: 1 August 2017

Published in: Annals of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: After reviewing the hole argument and its relations with initial value problem and general covariance, we shall discuss how much freedom one has to define the physical state of a system in a generally covariant (or gauge covariant) field theory. We shall show that in gauge covariant theories (and generally covariant theories with a a compact space) one has no freedom and one is forced to declare as physically equivalent two configurations which differ by a gauge transformation (or by a global spacetime diffeomorphism), as it is usually prescribed. On the contrary, when space is not compact, the result proven for the compact case does not hold true and one may have different options to define physically equivalent configurations, still preserving determinism.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.03888

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zbMATH Keywords

hole argumentgeneral covariance

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Hyperbolic and elliptic geometries (general) and generalizations (51M10) Methods of quantum field theory in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C47)

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Cited In (5)

• Conformal gravity as a gauge natural theory
• Symmetry and gauge freedom
• Introduction to loop quantum gravity. The Holst's action and the covariant formalism
• Generally covariant vs. gauge structure for conformal field theories
• The Cauchy problem in general relativity: an algebraic characterization

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