Hamiltonian formulation of tetrad gravity: three dimensional case

TL;DR

This paper develops the Hamiltonian formulation of three-dimensional tetrad gravity, explicitly deriving constraints, their algebra, and gauge transformations, and discusses implications for higher-dimensional theories.

Contribution

It provides the first explicit Hamiltonian analysis of 3D tetrad gravity, including the complete constraint algebra and gauge symmetry derivation, clarifying the relation to diffeomorphism invariance.

Findings

Constraint algebra matches ISO(2,1) Lie algebra

Gauge transformations coincide with Witten's results

Diffeomorphism is not a gauge symmetry in this formulation

Abstract

The Hamiltonian formulation of the tetrad gravity in any dimension higher than two, using its first order form when tetrads and spin connections are treated as independent variables, is discussed and the complete solution of the three dimensional case is given. For the first time, applying the methods of constrained dynamics, the Hamiltonian and constraints are explicitly derived and the algebra of the Poisson brackets among all constraints is calculated. The algebra of the Poisson brackets among first class secondary constraints locally coincides with Lie algebra of the ISO(2,1) Poincare group. All the first class constraints of this formulation, according to the Dirac conjecture and using the Castellani procedure, allow us to unambiguously derive the generator of gauge transformations and find the gauge transformations of the tetrads and spin connections which turn out to be the same found by Witten without recourse to the Hamiltonian methods [\textit{Nucl. Phys. B 311 (1988) 46}]. The gauge symmetry of the tetrad gravity generated by Lie algebra of constraints is compared with another invariance, diffeomorphism. Some conclusions about the Hamiltonian formulation in higher dimensions are briefly discussed; in particular, that diffeomorphism invariance is \textit{not derivable} as a \textit{gauge symmetry} from the Hamiltonian formulation of tetrad gravity in any dimension when tetrads and spin connections are used as independent variables.