Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Hamiltonian constraint
open-in-new
<p>The Hamiltonian constraint arises from any theory that admits a <a href="/facts/Hamiltonian_mechanics/2ReerlNA">Hamiltonian formulation</a> and is <a href="/facts/Parametrization_(geometry)/SQK3P4sc">reparametrisation</a>-invariant. The Hamiltonian constraint of <a href="/facts/General_relativity/jVsoIg8X">general relativity</a> is an important non-trivial example. </p><p>In the context of general relativity, the Hamiltonian constraint technically refers to a <a href="/facts/Linear_combination/CVjL6kuN">linear combination</a> of spatial and time <a href="/facts/Diffeomorphism/855N5YYj">diffeomorphism</a> constraints reflecting the reparametrizability of the theory under both spatial as well as time coordinates. However, most of the time the term <i>Hamiltonian constraint</i> is reserved for the constraint that generates time diffeomorphisms. </p>