The Representation of Time and Change in Mechanics

Belot, Gordon (2005) The Representation of Time and Change in Mechanics.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the representation of time and change in
classical (i.e., non-quantum) physical theories. One of the main goals is to attempt to clarify the nature and scope of the so-called problem of time: a knot of technical and interpretative problems that appear to stand in the way of attempts to quantize general relativity, and which have their roots in the general covariance of that theory. The most natural approach to these questions is via a consideration of more clear cases. So much of the paper is given over to a discussion of the representation of time and change in other, better understood theories, starting with the most straightforward cases and proceeding through a consideration of cases that lead up to the features of general relativity that are responsible for the problem of time.