Narrow Results

It is an intriguing question how local time can be introduced in the emergent picture of space–time. In this paper, this problem is discussed in the context of tensor models. To consistently incorporate local time into tensor models, a rank-three tensor model with first class constraints in Hamilton formalism is presented. In the limit of usual continuous spaces, the algebra of constraints reproduces that of general relativity in Hamilton formalism. While the momentum constraints can be realized rather easily by the symmetry of the tensor models, the form of the Hamiltonian constraints is strongly limited by the condition of the closure of the whole constraint algebra. Thus the Hamiltonian constraints have been determined on the assumption that they are local and at most cubic in canonical variables. The form of the Hamiltonian constraints has similarity with the Hamiltonian in the c < 1 string field theory, but it seems impossible to realize such a constraint algebras in the framework of vector or matrix models. Instead these models are rather useful as matter theories coupled with the tensor model. In this sense, a three-index tensor is the minimum-rank dynamical variable necessary to describe gravity in terms of tensor models.

Tensor models in various forms are being studied as models of quantum gravity. Among them the canonical tensor model has a canonical pair of rank-three tensors as dynamical variables, and is a pure constraint system with first-class constraints. The Poisson algebra of the first-class constraints has structure functions, and provides an algebraically consistent way of discretizing the Dirac first-class constraint algebra for general relativity. This paper successfully formulates the Wheeler–DeWitt scheme of quantization of the canonical tensor model; the ordering of operators in the constraints is determined without ambiguity by imposing Hermiticity and covariance on the constraints, and the commutation algebra of constraints takes essentially the same form as the classical Poisson algebra, i.e. is first-class. Thus one could consistently obtain, at least locally in the configuration space, wave functions of "universe" by solving the partial differential equations representing the constraints, i.e. the Wheeler–DeWitt equations for the quantum canonical tensor model. The unique wave function for the simplest nontrivial case is exactly and globally obtained. Although this case is far from being realistic, the wave function has a few physically interesting features; it shows that locality is favored, and that there exists a locus of configurations with features of beginning of universe.

Electromagnetism, the strong and the weak interactions are commonly formulated as gauge theories in a Lagrangian description. In this paper, we present an alternative formal derivation of $U(1)$-gauge theory in a manifestly covariant Hamilton formalism. We make use of canonical transformations as our guiding tool to formalize the gauging procedure. The introduction of the gauge field, its transformation behavior and a dynamical gauge field Lagrangian/Hamiltonian are unavoidable consequences of this formalism, whereas the form of the free gauge Lagrangian/Hamiltonian depends on the selection of the gauge dependence of the canonically conjugate gauge fields.