The Classical and Quantum Theory of Relativistic p-Branes without Constraints

Abstract

It is shown that a relativistic (i.e. a Poincar{\' e} invariant) theory of extended objects (called p-branes) is not necessarily invariant under reparametrizations of corresponding $p$-dimensional worldsheets (including worldlines for $p = 0$). Consequnetly, no constraints among the dynamical variables are necessary and quantization is straightforward. Additional degrees of freedom so obtained are given a physical interpretation as being related to membrane's elastic deformations ("wiggleness"). In particular, such a more general, unconstrained theory implies as solutions also those p-brane states that are solutions of the conventional theory of the Dirac-Nambu-Goto type.