The Ostrogradsky prescription for BFV formalism

Abstract

Gauge-invariant systems of a general form with higher order derivatives of gauge parameters are investigated within the framework of the BFV formalism. Higher order terms of the BRST charge and BRST-invariant Hamiltonian are obtained. It is shown that the identification rules for Lagrangian and Hamiltonian ghost variables depend on the choice of the extension of constraints from the primary constraint surface.