A Study of the Approximate Singular Lagrangian -- Conditional Noether Symmetries and First Integrals

Abstract: The investigation of approximate symmetries of reparametrization invariant Lagrangians of n + 1 degrees of freedom and quadratic velocities is presented. We show that extra conditions emerge which give rise to approximate and conditional Noether symmetries of such constrained actions. The Noether symmetries are the simultaneous conformal Killing vectors of both the kinetic metric and the potential. In order to recover these conditional symmetry generators which would otherwise be lost in gauge fixing the lapse function entering the perturbative Lagrangian, one must consider the lapse among the degrees of freedom. We establish a geometric framework in full generality to determine the admitted Noether symmetries. Additionally, we obtain the corresponding first integrals (modulo a constraint equation). For completeness, we present a pedagogical application of our method.