A tutorial on Dirac quantisation by analysing the problem of a ball on an inclined plane as a Hamiltonian system with constraints

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Main Authors: de Resende, M. F. Araujo, F, Thales Machado
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author de Resende, M. F. Araujo
F, Thales Machado
author_facet de Resende, M. F. Araujo
F, Thales Machado
contents In this paper, we present a detailed review/analysis of the Dirac quantisation of Hamiltonian systems with constraints. To this end, we use, as a guide, the physical example provided by the dynamics of a solid ball rolling, without slipping, down an inclined plane under the action of gravity. After all, however simple this physical system may be, it provides a rich framework for this analysis since, in addition to allowing us to discuss scenarios involving holonomic and non-holonomic constraints, it is also a gauge system. Indeed, due to this latter fact, we have carefully detailed how the transition, from classical to quantum mechanics, must be guided by the Dirac-Bergmann algorithm and by the consequent replacement of Dirac brackets with commutators. As a central result, we demonstrate that the restriction of the Hamiltonian operator of this system with constraints to the physical Hilbert subspace (which is identified with the quantisation of these constraints) reproduces the same Schrödinger equation that can be originally obtained in intrinsic terms, a fact that only reinforces the consistency of the Dirac quantisation method.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_28878
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A tutorial on Dirac quantisation by analysing the problem of a ball on an inclined plane as a Hamiltonian system with constraints
de Resende, M. F. Araujo
F, Thales Machado
Quantum Physics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Classical Physics
In this paper, we present a detailed review/analysis of the Dirac quantisation of Hamiltonian systems with constraints. To this end, we use, as a guide, the physical example provided by the dynamics of a solid ball rolling, without slipping, down an inclined plane under the action of gravity. After all, however simple this physical system may be, it provides a rich framework for this analysis since, in addition to allowing us to discuss scenarios involving holonomic and non-holonomic constraints, it is also a gauge system. Indeed, due to this latter fact, we have carefully detailed how the transition, from classical to quantum mechanics, must be guided by the Dirac-Bergmann algorithm and by the consequent replacement of Dirac brackets with commutators. As a central result, we demonstrate that the restriction of the Hamiltonian operator of this system with constraints to the physical Hilbert subspace (which is identified with the quantisation of these constraints) reproduces the same Schrödinger equation that can be originally obtained in intrinsic terms, a fact that only reinforces the consistency of the Dirac quantisation method.
title A tutorial on Dirac quantisation by analysing the problem of a ball on an inclined plane as a Hamiltonian system with constraints
topic Quantum Physics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Classical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28878