Paper detail

Shape Quantities for Relational Quadrilateralland

I investigate useful shape quantities for the classical and quantum mechanics of the relational quadrilateral in 2-d. This is relational in the sense that only relative times, relative ratios of separations and relative angles are significant. Relational particle mechanics models such as this paper's have many analogies with the geometrodynamical formulation of general relativity. This renders them suitable as toy models for 1) studying Problem of Time in Quantum Gravity strategies, in particular timeless, semiclassical and histories theory approaches and combinations of these. 2) For consideration of various other quantum-cosmological issues, such as structure formation/inhomogeneity and notions of uniform states and their significance. The relational quadrilateral is more useful in these respects than previously investigated simpler RPM's due to simultaneously possessing linear constraints, nontrivial subsystems and nontrivial complex-projective mathematics. Such shape have been found to be useful in simpler relational models such as the relational triangle and in 1-d.