Classical field theories from Hamiltonian constraint: Local symmetries and static gauge fields

Abstract

We consider the Hamiltonian constraint formulation of classical field theories, which treats spacetime and the space of fields symmetrically, and utilizes the concept of momentum multivector. The gauge field is introduced to compensate for non-invariance of the Hamiltonian under local transformations. It is a position-dependent linear mapping, which couples to the Hamiltonian by acting on the momentum multivector. We investigate symmetries of the ensuing gauged Hamiltonian, and propose a generic form of the gauge field strength. In examples we show how a generic gauge field can be specialized in order to realize gravitational and/or Yang-Mills interaction. Gauge field dynamics is not discussed in this article. Throughout, we employ the mathematical language of geometric algebra and calculus.