Presymplectic Geometry and the Problem of Time. Part 1

Abstract: An effective mathematical framework based on Presymplectic Geometry for dealing with the "phase space picture" of timeless dynamics in General Relativity is presented. In General Relativity, the presence of the scalar Hamiltonian constraint which vanishes leads to the problem of time, which can be solved, up to an extent by adopting a timeless formalism. This has been done by Carlo Rovelli and Julian Barbour et al. In this paper we present a phase space reformulation of Barbour's theory. The Presymplectic dynamics of general totally constrained, reparametrization invariant theories is developed, then applied to Jacobi mechanics, relational particle mechanics and the dynamics of the free relativistic particle.