2003/02/26 by Heinz J. Rothe, Rothe, Heinz J., Klaus D. Rothe +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Differential Geometry Research #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/0302210
28 pages, LaTex
arxiv created 2003/02/26 · openalex publication_date 2003/02/26 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The gauge symmetries of a general dynamical system can be systematically obtained following either a Hamiltonean or a Lagrangean approach. In the former case, these symmetries are generated, according to Dirac's conjecture, by the first class constraints. In the latter approach such local symmetries are reflected in the existence of so called gauge identities. The connection between the two becomes apparent, if one works with a first order Lagrangean formulation. We thereby confirm Dirac's conjecture. Our analysis applies to arbitrary constrained systems with first and second class constraints, and thus extends a previous analysis by one of the authors to such general systems. We illustrate our general results in terms of several examples.