Abstract
A usual-time Hamiltonian formalism for the Wheeler-Feynman Theory of Classical Electrodynamics is presented in which: (i) momenta canonically conjugate to the particle coordinates are defined and the associated problem of the inversion of these defining relations for particle velocities in terms of the particle coordinates and canonical momenta is formally solved; (ii) the equations of motion for the canonical variables are expressed in the Hamiltonian form; (iii) the usual definition and properties of the Poisson bracket are preserved. There are two new and essential properties of the Hamiltonian in this theory: (i) it is a functional of the canonical variables, as well as a function of them; (ii) in general, it is not conserved in time.
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© 1976 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
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Anderson, R.L., Nagel, J.G. (1976). Classical Electrodynamics in Terms of a Direct Interparticle Hamiltonian. In: Flato, M., Maric, Z., Milojevic, A., Sternheimer, D., Vigier, J.P. (eds) Quantum Mechanics, Determinism, Causality, and Particles. Mathematical Physics and Applied Mathematics, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1440-3_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1440-3_12
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