Hilbert-Noether theorem states that a current associated to diffeomorphism invariance of a Lagrangian vanishes on shell modulo a divergence of an arbitrary superpotential. Application of the Noether procedure to physical Lagrangians yields, however, meaningful (and measurable) currents. The well known solution to this ``paradox'' is to involve the variation of the metric tensor. Such procedure, for the field considered on a fixed (flat) background, is sophisticated logically (one need to introduce the variation of a fixed field) and formal.
We analyze the Noether procedure for a generic diffeomorphism invariant $p$-form field model. We show that the Noether current of the field considered on a variable background coincides with the current treated in a fixed geometry. Consistent description of the canonical energy-momentum current is possible only if the dynamics of the geometry (gravitation) is taken into account. However, even the ``truncated'' consideration yields the proper expression. We examine the examples of the free $p$-form gauge field theory, the GR in the coframe representation and the metric-free electrodynamics. Although, the variation of a metric tensor is not acceptable in the latter case, the Noether procedure yields the proper result.
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.
We prove that, given a time-independent Lagrangian defined in the first tangent bundle of configuration space, every infinitesimal Noether symmetry that is defined in the $n$-tangent bundle and is not vanishing on-shell, can be written as a canonical symmetry in an enlarged phase space, up to constraints that vanish on-shell. The proof is performed by the implementation of a change of variables from the the $n$-tangent bundle of the Lagrangian theory to an extension of the Hamiltonian formalism which is particularly suited for the case when the Lagrangian is singular. This result proves the as…
As is well known, there are different Lagrangians which lead to the same Euler-Lagrange operator. The gauge invariance of a Lagrangian guarantees that of the corresponding Euler-Lagrange operator, but not vice versa. We show that the gauge invariance of an Euler-Lagrange operator, but not a Lagrangian results in Noether conservation laws.
The symmetric and gauge-invariant energy-momentum tensors for source-free Maxwell and Yang-Mills theories are obtained by means of translations in spacetime via a systematic implementation of Noether's theorem. For the source-free neutral Proca field, the same procedure yields also the symmetric energy-momentum tensor. In all cases, the key point to get the right expressions for the energy-momentum tensors is the appropriate handling of their equations of motion and the Bianchi identities. It must be stressed that these results are obtained without using Belinfante's symmetrization techniques …
We study Lagrangian systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom that are non-local in time. We obtain an extension of Noether theorem and Noether identities to this kind of Lagrangians. A Hamiltonian formalism is then set up for this systems. $n$-order local Lagrangians can be treated as a particular case and the standard results for them are recovered. The method is then applied to several other cases, namely two examples of non-local oscillators and the p-adic particle.
We present the Lagrangian whose corresponding action is the trace K action for General Relativity. Although this Lagrangian is second order in the derivatives, it has no second order time derivatives and its behaviour at space infinity in the asymptotically flat case is identical to other alternative Lagrangians for General Relativity, like the gamma-gamma Lagrangian used by Einstein. We develop some elements of the variational principle for field theories with boundaries, and apply them to second order Lagrangians, where we stablish the conditions -- proposition 1 -- for the conservation of t…
Conservation laws related to the gauge invariance of Lagrangians and Euler-Lagrange operators in finite and infinite order Lagrangian formalisms are analyzed.
There is a review of the main mathematical properties of system described by singular Lagrangians and requiring Dirac-Bergmann theory of constraints at the Hamiltonian level. The following aspects are discussed: i) the connection of the rank and eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix in the Euler-Lagrange equations with the chains of first and second class constraints; ii) the connection of the Noether identities of the second Noether theorem with the Hamiltonian constraints; iii) the Shanmugadhasan canonical transformation for the identification of the gauge variables and for the search of the Dir…
In this work, we examine a family of $pp$-wave solutions of Minimal Massive 3d Gravity (MMG) minimally coupled with the Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory. An elaborate investigation of the field equations shows that the theory admits $pp$-wave solutions provided that there exist an anti-self duality relation between the electric and the magnetic components of the Maxwell 2-form field. By employing Noether-Wald formalism, we also construct Noether charges of the theory within exterior algebra formalism.
We study differential systems for which it is possible to establish a correspondence between symmetries and conservation laws based on Noether identity: quasi-Noether systems. We analyze Noether identity and show that it leads to the same conservation laws as Lagrange (Green-Lagrange) identity. We discuss quasi-Noether systems, and some of their properties, and generate classes of quasi-Noether differential equations of the second order. We next introduce a more general version of quasi-Lagrangians which allows us to extend Noether theorem. Here, variational symmetries are only sub-symmetries,…
For a dynamical system defined by a singular Lagrangian, canonical Noether symmetries are characterized in terms of their commutation relations with the evolution operators of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms. Separate characterizations are given in phase space, in velocity space, and through an evolution operator that links both spaces.
Regular perturbative Lagrangians that admit approximate Noether symmetries and approximate conservation laws are studied. Specifically, we investigate the connection between approximate Noether symmetries and collineations of the underlying manifold. In particular we determine the generic Noether symmetry conditions for the approximate point symmetries and we find that for a class of perturbed Lagrangians, Noether symmetries are related to the elements of the Homothetic algebra of the metric which is defined by the unperturbed Lagrangian. Moreover, we discuss how exact symmetries become approx…
We report off-shell Noether currents obtained from off-shell Noether potentials for first-order general relativity described by $n$-dimensional Palatini and Holst Lagrangians including the cosmological constant. These off-shell currents and potentials are achieved by using the corresponding Lagrangian and the off-shell Noether identities satisfied by diffeomorphisms generated by arbitrary vector fields, local $SO(n)$ or $SO(n-1,1)$ transformations, `improved diffeomorphisms', and the `generalization of local translations' of the orthonormal frame and the connection. A remarkable aspect of our …
The variational Lie derivative of classes of forms in the Krupka's variational sequence is defined as a variational Cartan formula at any degree, in particular for degrees lesser than the dimension of the basis manifold. As an example of application we determine the condition for a Noether--Bessel-Hagen current, associated with a generalized symmetry, to be variationally equivalent to a Noether current for an invariant Lagrangian. We show that, if it exists, this Noether current is exact on-shell and generates a canonical conserved quantity.
The investigation of approximate symmetries of reparametrization invariant Lagrangians of n + 1 degrees of freedom and quadratic velocities is presented. We show that extra conditions emerge which give rise to approximate and conditional Noether symmetries of such constrained actions. The Noether symmetries are the simultaneous conformal Killing vectors of both the kinetic metric and the potential. In order to recover these conditional symmetry generators which would otherwise be lost in gauge fixing the lapse function entering the perturbative Lagrangian, one must consider the lapse among the…
We address the problem of extending an original field Lagrangian to ghosts and antifields in order to satisfy the master equation in the framework of the BV quantization of Lagrangian field systems. This extension essentially depends on the degeneracy of an original Lagrangian whose Euler-Lagrange operator generally obeys the Noether identities which need not be independent, but satisfy the first-stage Noether identities, and so on. A generic Lagrangian system of even and odd fields on an arbitrary smooth manifold is examined in the algebraic terms of the Grassmann-graded variational bicomplex…
We prove a theorem concerning the Noether symmetries for the area minimizing Lagrangian under the constraint of a constant volume in an n-dimensional Riemannian space. We illustrate the application of the theorem by a number of examples.
This paper deals with conservation laws for mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints. It uses a Lagrangian formulation of nonholonomic systems and a Cartan form approach. We present what we believe to be the most general relations between symmetries and first integrals. We discuss the so-called nonholonomic Noether theorem in terms of our formalism, and we give applications to Riemannian submanifolds, to Lagrangians of mechanical type, and to the determination of quadratic first integrals.
A Lagrangian formulation with nonlocality is investigated in this paper. The nonlocality of the Lagrangian is introduced by a new nonlocal argument that is defined as a nonlocal residual satisfying the zero mean condition. The nonlocal Euler-Lagrangian equation is derived from the Hamilton's principle. The Noether's theorem is extended to this Lagrangian formulation with nonlocality. With the help of the extended Noether's theorem, the conservation laws relevant to energy, linear momentum, angular momentum and the Eshelby tensor are determined in the nonlocal elasticity associated with the mec…
In Lagrangian mechanics, Noether conservation laws including the energy one are obtained similarly to those in field theory. In Hamiltonian mechanics, Noether conservation laws are issued from the invariance of the Poincare-Cartan integral invariant under one-parameter groups of diffeomorphisms of a configuration space. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian conservation laws need not be equivalent.
We present Noether's second theorem for graded Lagrangian systems of even and odd variables on an arbitrary body manifold X in a general case of BRST symmetries depending on derivatives of dynamic variables and ghosts of any finite order. As a preliminary step, Noether's second theorem for Lagrangian systems on fiber bundles over X possessing gauge symmetries depending on derivatives of dynamic variables and parameters of arbitrary order is proved.
A generic degenerate Lagrangian system of even and odd fields is examined in algebraic terms of the Grassmann-graded variational bicomplex. Its Euler-Lagrange operator obeys Noether identities which need not be independent, but satisfy first-stage Noether identities, and so on. We show that, if a certain necessary and sufficient condition holds, one can associate to a degenerate Lagrangian system the exact Koszul-Tate complex with the boundary operator whose nilpotency condition restarts all its Noether and higher-stage Noether identities. This complex provides a sufficient analysis of the deg…
The Noether-like operators that play an essential role in writing down the invariants for systems of two ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are constructed. The classification of such operators is carried out with the help of analytic continuation of the Lagrangians on the line. Cases in which the Noether-like operators are also Noether symmetries for the systems of ODEs are briefly mentioned. In particular, the 8-dimensional maximal Noether subalgebra is remarkabely obtained for the simplest system of the free particle equations in two dimensions from the 5-dimensional complex Noether alg…
We discuss the relationship between the Noether point symmetries of the geodesic Lagrangian, in a (pseudo)Riemannian manifold, with the elements of the Homothetic algebra of the space. We observe that the classification problem of the Noether symmetries for the geodesic Lagrangian is equivalent with the classification of the Homothetic algebra of the space, which in the case of a Friedmann-Lema\^ıtre-Robertson-Walker spacetime is a well-known result in the literature.
The purely affine Lagrangian for linear electrodynamics, that has the form of the Maxwell Lagrangian in which the metric tensor is replaced by the symmetrized Ricci tensor and the electromagnetic field tensor by the tensor of homothetic curvature, is dynamically equivalent to the Einstein-Maxwell equations in the metric-affine and metric formulation. We show that this equivalence is related to the invariance of the Maxwell Lagrangian under conformal transformations of the metric tensor. We also apply to a purely affine Lagrangian the Legendre transformation with respect to the tensor of homoth…
In the present work, we formulate a generalization of the Noether Theorem for action-dependent Lagrangian functions. The Noether's theorem is one of the most important theorems for physics. It is well known that all conservation laws, \textrm{e.g.}, conservation of energy and momentum, are directly related to the invariance of the action under a family of transformations. However, the classical Noether theorem cannot be applied to study non-conservative systems because it is not possible to formulate physically meaningful Lagrangian functions for this kind of systems in the classical calculus …
Non-autonomous non-relativistic mechanics is formulated as Lagrangian and Hamiltonian theory on fibre bundles over the time axis R. Hamiltonian mechanics herewith can be reformulated as particular Lagrangian theory on a momentum phase space. This facts enable one to apply Noether's first theorem both to Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. By virtue of Noether's first theorem, any symmetry defines a symmetry current which is an integral of motion in Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. The converse is not true in Lagrangian mechanics where integrals of motion need not come from symmetries. W…
Symmetries and, in particular, Cartan (Noether) symmetries and conserved quantities (conservation laws) are studied for the multisymplectic formulation of first and second order Lagrangian classical field theories. Noether-type theorems are stated in this geometric framework. The concept of gauge symmetry and its geometrical meaning are also discussed in this formulation. The results are applied to study Noether and gauge symmetries for the multisymplectic description of the electromagnetic and the gravitational theory; in particular, the Einstein--Hilbert and the Einstein--Palatini approaches…
We develop a theory of gauge and dynamical equivalence for Lagrangian systems on Lie algebroids, also studying its relationship with Noether and non-Noether conserved quantities.
A generic degenerate Lagrangian system of even and odd variables on an arbitrary smooth manifold is examined in terms of the Grassmann-graded variational bicomplex. Its Euler-Lagrange operator obeys Noether identities which need not be independent, but satisfy first-stage Noether identities, and so on. However, non-trivial higher-stage Noether identities are ill defined, unless a certain homology condition holds. We show that, under this condition, there exists the exact Koszul-Tate chain complex whose boundary operator produces all non-trivial Noether and higher-stage Noether identities of an…
The first and second Noether theorems are formulated in a general case of reducible degenerate Grassmann-graded Lagrangian theory of even and odd variables on graded bundles. Such Lagrangian theory is characterized by a hierarchy of non-trivial higher-stage Noether identities and the corresponding higher-stage gauge symmetries which are described in the homology terms. In these terms, the second Noether theorems associate to the Koszul - Tate chain complex of higher-stage Noether identities the gauge cochain sequence whose ascent operator provides higher-order gauge symmetries of Lagrangian th…
Quantization of a Lagrangian field system essentially depends on its degeneracy and implies its BRST extension defined by sets of non-trivial Noether and higher-stage Noether identities. However, one meets a problem how to select trivial and non-trivial higher-stage Noether identities. We show that, under certain conditions, one can associate to a degenerate Lagrangian L the KT-BRST complex of fields, antifields and ghosts whose boundary and coboundary operators provide all non-trivial Noether identities and gauge symmetries of L. In this case, L can be extended to a proper solution of the mas…
In this study, we consider a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe in the context of Palatini $f(R)$ theory of gravity. Using the dynamical equivalence between $f(R)$ gravity and scalar-tensor theories, we construct a point Lagrangian in the flat FRW spacetime. Applying {\em Noether gauge symmetry approach} for this $f(R)$ Lagrangian we find out the form of $f(R)$ and the exact solution for cosmic scale factor. It is shown that the resulting form of $f(R)$ yield a power-law expansion for the scale factor of the universe.
We consider scalar-tensor theories and reconstruct their potential U(Φ) and coupling F(Φ) by demanding a background LCDM cosmology. In particular we impose a background cosmic history H(z) provided by the usual flat LCDM parameterization through the radiation (w_{eff}=1/3), matter (w_{eff}=0) and deSitter (w_{eff}=-1) eras. The cosmological dynamical system which is constrained to obey the LCDM cosmic history presents five critical points in each era, one of which corresponding to the standard General Relativity (GR). In the cases that differ from GR, the reconstructed coupling and potential a…
The purpose of the current article is to present a brief albeit accurate presentation of the main tools used in the study of symmetries of Lagrange equations for holonomic systems and subsequently to show how these tools are applied in the major models of modern cosmology in order to derive exact solutions and deal with the problem of dark matter/energy. The key role in this approach are the first integrals of the field equations. We start with the Lie point symmetries and the first integrals defined by them, that is the Hojman integrals. Subsequently we discuss the Noether point symmetries an…
General Lagrangian theory of even and odd fields on an arbitrary smooth manifold is considered. Its non-trivial reducible gauge symmetries and their algebra are defined in this very general setting by means of the inverse second Noether theorem. In contrast with gauge symmetries, non-trivial Noether and higher-stage Noether identities of Lagrangian theory can be intrinsically defined by constructing the exact Koszul-Tate complex. The inverse second Noether theorem that we prove associates to this complex the cochain sequence with the ascent operator whose components define non-trivial gauge an…
On Minkowski spacetime, the angular momentum flux through null infinity of Maxwell fields, computed using the stress-energy tensor, depends not only on the radiative degrees of freedom, but also on the Coulombic parts. However, the angular momentum also can be computed using other conserved currents associated with a Killing field, such as the Noether current and the canonical current. The flux computed using these latter two currents is purely radiative. A priori, it is not clear which of these is to be considered the true flux of angular momentum for Maxwell fields. This situation carries ov…
We introduce an generalized action functional describing the equations of motion and the variational equations for any Lagrangian system. Using this novel scheme we are able to generalize Noether's theorem in such a way that to any $n$-parameter continuous symmetry group of the Lagrangian there exist 1) the usual $n$ constants of motion and 2) $n$ extra constants valid in the variational equations. The new constants are related to the infinitesimal generators of the symmetry transformation by relations similar to the ones that stem from the `nonextended' Noether theorem.
In their simplest form, metric-like Lagrangians for higher-spin massless fields display constrained gauge symmetries, unless auxiliary fields are introduced or locality is foregone. Specifically, in its standard incarnation, gauge invariance of Maxwell-like Lagrangians relies on parameters with vanishing divergence. We propose an alternative form of the corresponding local symmetry involving unconstrained parameters of mixed-symmetry type, described by rectangular two-row Young diagrams and entering high-derivative gauge transformations. The resulting gauge algebra appears to be reducible and …
We justify the Hamilton least action principle for the Maxwell-Lorentz equations with Abraham's rotating extended electron. The main novelty in the proof is application of the variational Poincare equations on the Lie group SO(3). The variational equations allow to derive the corresponding conservation laws from general Noether theory of invariants.
This paper provides a modern presentation of Noether's theory in the realm of classical dynamics, with application to the problem of a particle submitted to both a potential and a linear dissipation. After a review of the close relationships between Noether symmetries and first integrals, we investigate the variational point symmetries of the Lagrangian introduced by Bateman, Caldirola and Kanai. This analysis leads to the determination of all the time-independent potentials allowing such symmetries, in the one-dimensional and the radial cases. Then we develop a symmetry-based transformation o…
We give a version of Noether theorem adapted to the framework of mu-symmetries; this extends to such case recent work by Muriel, Romero and Olver in the framework of lambda-symmetries, and connects mu-symmetries of a Lagrangian to a suitably modified conservation law. In some cases this "mu-conservation law'' actually reduces to a standard one; we also note a relation between mu-symmetries and conditional invariants. We also consider the case where the variational principle is itself formulated as requiring vanishing variation under mu-prolonged variation fields, leading to modified Euler-Lagr…
Knotted solutions to electromagnetism are investigated as an independent subsector of the theory. We write down a Lagrangian and a Hamiltonian formulation of Bateman's construction for the knotted electromagnetic solutions. We introduce a general definition of the null condition and generalize the construction of Maxwell's theory to massless free complex scalar, its dual two form field, and to a massless DBI scalar. We set up the framework for quantizing the theory both in a path integral approach, as well as the canonical Dirac method for a constrained system. We make several observations abo…
In this paper we demonstrate how the Legendre transform connects the statements of Noether's theorem in Hamiltonian and Lagrangian mechanics. We give precise definitions of symmetries and conserved quantities in both the Hamiltonian and Lagrangian frameworks and discuss why these notions in the Hamiltonian framework are somewhat less rigid. We explore conditions which, when put on these definitions, allow the Legendre transform to set up a one-to-one correspondence between them. We also discuss how to preserve this correspondence when the definitions of symmetries and conserved quantities are …
We present an old and regretfully forgotten method by Jacobi which allows one to find many Lagrangians of simple classical models and also of nonconservative systems. We underline that the knowledge of Lie symmetries generates Jacobi last multipliers and each of the latter yields a Lagrangian. Then it is shown that Noether's theorem can identify among those Lagrangians the physical Lagrangian(s) that will successfully lead to quantization. The preservation of the Noether symmetries as Lie symmetries of the corresponding Schrödinger equation is the key that takes classical mechanics into quantu…
Noether's symmetry transformations for higher-order lagrangians are studied. A characterization of these transformations is presented, which is useful to find gauge transformations for higher-order singular lagrangians. The case of second-order lagrangians is studied in detail. Some examples that illustrate our results are given; in particular, for the lagrangian of a relativistic particle with curvature, lagrangian gauge transformations are obtained, though there are no hamiltonian gauge generators for them.
Making use of the Lagrange anchor construction introduced earlier to quantize non-Lagrangian field theories, we extend the Noether theorem beyond the class of variational dynamics.
In the present work, by taking advantage of a so-called practical limitation of fractional derivatives, namely, the absence of a simple chain and Leibniz's rules, we proposed a generalized fractional calculus of variation where the Lagrangian function depends on fractional derivatives of differentiable functions. The Euler-Lagrange equation we obtained generalizes previously results and enables us to construct simple Lagrangians for nonlinear systems. Furthermore, in our main result, we formulate a Noether-type theorem for these problems that provides us with a means to obtain conservative qua…
Following the analysis we have presented in a previous paper (that we refer to as [I]), we describe a Noether theorem related to symmetries, with the associated reduction procedures, for classical dynamics within the Lagrangian and the Hamilton-Jacobi formalism.
A class of generalized Galileon cosmological models, which can be described by a point-like Lagrangian, is considered in order to utilize Noether's Theorem to determine conservation laws for the field equations. In the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe, the existence of a nontrivial conservation law indicates the integrability of the field equations. Due to the complexity of the latter, we apply the differential invariants approach in order to construct special power-law solutions and study their stability.
A simple proof of Noether's first theorem involves the promotion of a constant symmetry parameter $ε$ to an arbitrary function of time, the Noether charge $Q$ is then the coefficient of $\dotε$ in the variation of the action. Here we examine the validity of this proof for Lagrangian mechanics with arbitrarily-high time derivatives, in which context "higher-level" analogs of Noether's theorem can be similarly proved, and "Noetherian charges" read off from, e.g. the coefficient of $\ddot ε$ in the variation of the action. While $Q=0$ implies a restricted gauge invariance, unrestricted gauge inva…
A procedure which obviates the constraint imposed by the conflict between consistent quantization and the invariance of the Hamiltonian description under nonlinear canonical transformation is proposed. This new quantization scheme preserves the Noether point symmetries of the underlying Lagrangian in order to construct the Schrödinger's equation. As an example, the quantization of the `goldfish' many-body problem extensively studied by Calogero et al. is presented.
A Lagrangian formalism for variational second-order delay ordinary differential equations (DODEs) is developed. The Noether operator identity for a DODE is established, which relates the invariance of a Lagrangian function with the appropriate variational equations and the conserved quantities. The identity is used to formulate Noether-type theorems that give the first integrals for DODE with symmetries. Relations between the invariance of the variational second-order DODEs and the invariance of the Lagrangian functions are also analyzed. Several examples illustrate the theoretical results.
