View Single Post
action principle for spacetime events
Old
  (#1 (permalink))
AntonioLao
Raider of the lost time
AntonioLao is just really niceAntonioLao is just really nice
 
AntonioLao's Avatar
 
Status: Offline
Posts: 5,274
Thanks Given: 714
Thanked 121x in 119 Posts
Join Date: Nov 2003
Rep Power: 73
   
action principle for spacetime events - 08-17-2005, 11:28 AM

The usual understanding of action principle is through the study of calculus of variations. For our particular discussion, we can sidestep all the classical details and jump over directly to spacetime descriptions asserting that the following contact transformation integral exists.

A=\\\\int L(\\\\psi , \\\\dot{\\\\psi} , \\\\phi) d\\\\phi

The general form of this integral is the multiple integrals over the entire domain of T(\\\\phi_i) given by:

A^i = \\int_i L^i (\\psi_i , \\phi_i , \\dot{\\psi_i} , \\dot{\\phi_i} ) d\\phi_i , where i=1, 2, 3, \\\\ldots , \\\\infty

and

\\\\dot{\\\\psi_i}=\\\\frac{\\\\partial \\\\psi_i}{\\\\partial \\\\phi_i} have the dimensions of velocities.

One particular multiple action integral of interest is the double action integral, which is equivalent to the quantization of local infinitesimal spacetime.

A^2 = \\\\int_1 \\\\int_2 L^2 (\\\\psi_1,\\\\psi_2,\\\\phi_1,\\\\phi_2) d\\\\phi_1 d\\\\phi_2

or

A^2 = \int_1 \int_2 L^2 (\psi_1,\psi_2,\phi_1,\phi_2) dt_1 dt_2
where dt_1 and dt_2 are now differential time intervals.

The unassuming function L^2 is now defined as the square of energy if and only if the \\\\psi_i have units of length and the \\\\phi_i have units of force and the following statement is true:

E^2=\\\\psi_1 \\\\times \\\\phi_1 \\\\cdot \\\\psi_2 \\\\times \\\\phi_2

In this formulation, all time elements of the set T(\\\\phi_i) have the physical attribute of direction. This directional property makes time equivalent to force. Furthermore, it gives meaning to the existence of time axes for all spacetime events.
  
Reply With Quote