Variational methods in general relativity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since October 2005. |
 |
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. Please help recruit one or improve this article yourself. See the talk page for details. Please consider using {{Expert-subject}} to associate this request with a WikiProject |
Variational methods in general relativity refers to various mathematical techniques that employ the use of variational calculus in Einstein's theory of general relativity. The most commonly used tools are Lagrangians and Hamiltonians and are used to derive the Einstein field equations.
[edit] Lagrangian methods
Main article: Einstein-Hilbert action
The equations of motion in known physical theories can be derived from an object called the Lagrangian. In classical mechanics, this object is usually of the form, 'kinetic energy - potential energy'.
See also Palatini action, Plebanski action, MacDowell-Mansouri action, Friedel-Starodubtsev action
