The Dynamics of General Relativity

TL;DR

This paper presents a foundational formulation of General Relativity, offering insights into its dynamics and structure, originally published in 1962, now made accessible in a modern format.

Contribution

It introduces a novel formulation of General Relativity that has influenced subsequent theoretical developments in the field.

Findings

Provides a new perspective on the dynamics of spacetime

Introduces mathematical tools for analyzing gravitational fields

Lays groundwork for future research in gravitational physics

Abstract

This article--summarizing the authors' then novel formulation of General Relativity--appeared as Chapter 7 of an often cited compendium edited by L. Witten in 1962, which is now long out of print. Intentionally unretouched, this posting is intended to provide contemporary accessibility to the flavor of the original ideas. Some typographical corrections have been made: footnote and page numbering have changed--but not section nor equation numbering etc. The authors' current institutional affiliations are encoded in: arnowitt@physics.tamu.edu, deser@brandeis.edu, misner@physics.umd.edu .