A geometrical analysis of the field equations in field theory

In this review paper we give a geometrical formulation of the field equations in the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms of classical field theories (of first order) in terms of multivector fields. This formulation enables us to discuss the existence and non-uniqueness of solutions, as well as their integrability.Comment: 14 pages. LaTeX file. This is a review paper based on previous works by the same author

On some aspects of the geometry of non integrable distributions and applications

We consider a regular distribution D in a Riemannian manifold (M, g). The LeviCivita connection on (M, g) together with the orthogonal projection allow to endow the space of sections of D with a natural covariant derivative, the intrinsic connection. Hence we have two different covariant derivatives for sections of D, one directly with the connection in (M, g) and the other one with this intrinsic connection. Their difference is the second fundamental form of D and we prove it is a significant tool to characterize the involutive and the totally geodesic distributions and to give a natural formulation of the equation of motion for mechanical systems with constraints. The two connections also give two different notions of curvature, curvature tensors and sectional curvatures, which are compared in this paper with the use of the second fundamental form.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Extended Hamiltonian systems in multisymplectic field theories

We consider Hamiltonian systems in first-order multisymplectic field theories. We review the properties of Hamiltonian systems in the so-called restricted multimomentum bundle, including the variational principle which leads to the Hamiltonian field equations. In an analogous way to how these systems are defined in the so-called extended (symplectic) formulation of non-autonomous mechanics, we introduce Hamiltonian systems in the extended multimomentum bundle. The geometric properties of these systems are studied, the Hamiltonian equations are analyzed using integrable multivector fields, the corresponding variational principle is also stated, and the relation between the extended and the restricted Hamiltonian systems is established. All these properties are also adapted to certain kinds of submanifolds of the multimomentum bundles in order to cover the case of almost-regular field theories.Comment: 36 pp. The introduction and the abstract have been rewritten. New references are added and some little mistakes are corrected. The title has been slightly modifie