Pedagogical Introduction to Hamiltonian BRST formalism

Abstract

Hamiltonian BRST formalism (FV formalism) includes many auxiliary fields without explanation. Its path-integration has a simple form by using BRST charge, but its construction is quite mechanically and hard to understand physical meaning. In this paper we perform the phase space path-integral with requiring BRST invariance for action and measure, and show that the resultant form is equivalent to the Hamiltonian BRST (FV) formalism in gravitational theory. This explains why so many auxiliary fields are necessary to be introduced. We also find the gauge fixing is automatically done by requiring the BRST invariance of the path-integral measure. This is a pedagogical introduction to Hamiltonian BRST formalism.