Geometry of Constrained Dynamical Systems

Many fundamental theories of modern physics can be considered as descriptions of dynamical systems subjected to constraints. The study of these constrained dynamical systems, and in particular the problems of formulating them as quantum systems, has many profound links with geometry. These links were explored in the Symposium on Geometry and Gravity held at the Newton Institute in 1994. This book, which arose from a conference held during that symposium, is a collection of papers devoted to problems such as Chern-Simons theory, sigma-models, gauge invariance and loop quantization, general relativity and the notion of time, and quantum gravity. They present a lively, varied and topical perspective on this important branch of theoretical physics from some of the leading authorities in the subject, and will be of value to theoretical physicists and mathematicians interested in the latest advances.

Many of the fundamental theories of modern physics can be considered as descriptions of dynamical systems subjected to constraints. The study of these constrained dynamical systems, in particular the problems encountered in formulating them as quantum systems, has many profound links with geometry, and these were explored in the Symposium on Geometry and Gravity held at the Newton Institute in 1994. This book arose from a conference held during that symposium.