By means of a simple scalar field theory it is demonstrated that the Lagrange formalism and Ostrogradsky's Hamilton formalism in the presence of higher derivatives, in general, do not lead to the same results. While the two approaches are equivalent at the classical level, differences appear due to the quantum corrections.
We develop the Ostrogradsky-Hamilton formalism for geodetic brane gravity, described by the Regge-Teitelboim geometric model in higher codimension. We treat this gravity theory as a second-order derivative theory, based on the extrinsic geometric structure of the model. As opposed to previous treatments of geodetic brane gravity, our Lagrangian is linearly dependent on second-order time derivatives of the field variables, the embedding functions. The difference resides in a boundary term in the action, usually discarded. Certainly, this suggests applying an appropriate Ostrogradsky-Hamiltonian…
We review the fate of the Ostrogradsky ghost in higher-order theories. We start by recalling the original Ostrogradsky theorem and illustrate, in the context of classical mechanics, how higher-derivatives Lagrangians lead to unbounded Hamiltonians and then lead to (classical and quantum) instabilities. Then, we extend the Ostrogradsky theorem to higher-derivatives theories of several dynamical variables and show the possibility to evade the Ostrogradsky instability when the Lagrangian is "degenerate", still in the context of classical mechanics. In particular, we explain why higher-derivatives…
In theories with higher time derivatives, the Hamiltonian analysis of Ostrogradsky predicts an instability. However, this Hamiltonian treatment does not correspond the way that these theories are treated in quantum field theory, and the instability may be avoided in at least some cases. We present a very simple model which illustrates these features.
The Ostrogradsky theorem states that any classical Lagrangian that contains time derivatives higher than the first order and is nondegenerate with respect to the highest-order derivatives leads to an unbounded Hamiltonian which linearly depends on the canonical momenta. Recently, the original theorem has been generalized to nondegeneracy with respect to non-highest-order derivatives. These theorems have been playing a central role in construction of sensible higher-derivative theories. We explore quantization of such nondegenerate theories, and prove that Hamiltonian is still unbounded at the …
Ostrogradsky's Theorem is Incompatible with Background Independence in Quantum Gravity
Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, KEK（高能加速器研究机构粒子核物理研究所）；Department of Particle and Nuclear Physics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)（高级研究院粒子核物理系）
Pedagogical Introduction to Hamiltonian BRST formalism
Hamilton BRST形式主义（FV形式主义）包含许多辅助场而没有解释。它的路径积分形式简单，采用了BRST电荷，但其构造十分机械，物理意义难以理解。本文给出了作用量和测度满足BRST不变性条件下的相空间路径积分，并证明了所得形式与引力理论中的Hamilton BRST（FV）形式等价。这就解释了为什么需要引入这么多辅助场。我们还发现，规范固定是自动完成的要求BRST不变性的路径积分措施。这是一个教学介绍汉密尔顿BRST形式主义。
We consider constrained multi-Hamiltonian formulation for the extended Chern-Simons theory with higher derivatives of arbitrary finite order. The order $n$ extension of the theory admits $(n-1)$-parametric series of conserved tensors. The $00$-component of any representative of the series can be chosen as Hamiltonian. The theory admits a series of Hamiltonian formulations, including the canonical Ostrogradski formulation. The Hamiltonian formulations with different Hamiltonians are not connected by canonical transformations. Also, we demonstrate the inclusion of stable interactions with charge…
We consider the four dimensional topologically massive electrodynamics in which a gauge field is interacting with 2nd rank antisymmetric tensor field through a topological interaction. The photon becomes massive by eating the 2nd rank tensor field, which is dual to the Higgs mechanism. We explicitly demonstrate the nature of the mechanism by performing a canonical analysis of the theory and discuss various aspects of it.
We investigate cosmological perturbations of scalar-tensor theories in Palatini formalism. First we introduce an action where the Ricci scalar is conformally coupled to a function of a scalar field and its kinetic term and there is also a k-essence term consisting of the scalar and its kinetic term. This action has three frames that are equivalent to one another: the original Jordan frame, the Einstein frame where the metric is redefined, and the Riemann frame where the connection is redefined. For the first time in the literature, we calculate the quadratic action and the sound speed of scala…
This article aims to study non-local Lagrangians with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. We obtain an extension of Noether's theorem and Noether's identities for such Lagrangians. We then set up a Hamiltonian formalism for them. In addition, we show that $n$-order local Lagrangians can be treated as a particular case and the standard results can be recovered. Finally, this formalism is applied to the case of $p$-adic open string field.
