Quantization of minisuperspaces as ordinary gauge systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that simple cosmological models can be quantized as ordinary gauge systems through canonical transformations, simplifying gauge fixing and avoiding Gribov copies when the Hamilton-Jacobi equation is separable.

Contribution

It shows that gravitation in minisuperspace models can be quantized as an ordinary gauge system if the Hamilton-Jacobi equation is separable, enabling easier gauge fixing.

Findings

Canonical transformations lead to linear, homogeneous constraints.

Path integral gauge conditions can be chosen without Gribov copies.

Separable Hamilton-Jacobi equations facilitate quantization as gauge systems.

Abstract

Simple cosmological models are used to show that gravitation can be quantized as an ordinary gauge system if the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the model under consideration is separable. In this situation, a canonical transformation can be performed such that in terms of the new variables the model has a linear and homogeneous constraint, and therefore canonical gauges are admissible in the path integral. This has the additional practical advantage that gauge conditions that do not generate Gribov copies are then easy to choose.