BRST cohomology of systems with secondary constraints

Abstract

Extending phase space to include time and it canonical conjugate energy as well as the usual momentum and position variables, and then introducing the constraint which sets energy equal to the Hamiltonian, gives a symplectic action of the additive group R which corresponds to time translation along the solutions to the equations of motion. This allows the BRST operator of a system with secondary constraints to be constructed from first principles.