Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/iii/paper-311/3/a/i/solution

There are no or terms in the displayed Einstein-Hilbert action, so the lapse function and shift vector have zero canonical momenta. Their equations impose constraint equations in field theory rather than independent propagation; they are Lagrange multipliers in the Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity.
With the question's positive sign for , vary at fixed . Since ,
Thus the canonical momentum of the spatial metric is a weight-one tensor density. Write ; in three spatial dimensions , so
The action has suppressed its overall , and this normalization is retained here. Reversing the sign convention for extrinsic curvature would reverse the momentum relation; the calculation uses exactly the convention supplied in this question.

New to topics? Read the docs here!