Classical gauge theories as systems with constraints: a geometric point of view

Abstract

In this paper, we briefly review the Hamiltonian formulation of classical systems that are constrained to submanifolds so that, within this context, the true meaning of classical gauge theories becomes clear. Please note that this paper is nothing more than a near-literal translation of Ref. [1], which we originally published in Brazilian Portuguese in 2018. Therefore, if you, the reader, find this paper useful enough to cite it in any of your works, we kindly ask that you (also) cite Ref. [1].