Hamiltonian formulation of f(Riemann) theories of gravity

TL;DR

This paper develops a Hamiltonian framework for gravity theories based on arbitrary functions of the Riemann tensor, enabling a unified analysis of their degrees of freedom and structure.

Contribution

It introduces a canonical formulation for f(Riemann) gravity theories, simplifying the analysis of their degrees of freedom and unifying various special cases.

Findings

Provides a systematic Hamiltonian formulation for f(Riemann) theories

Facilitates identification of physical degrees of freedom

Unifies treatment of different Riemann-based gravity models

Abstract

We present a canonical formulation of gravity theories whose Lagrangian is an arbitrary function of the Riemann tensor. Our approach allows a unified treatment of various subcases and an easy identification of the degrees of freedom of the theory.