= Charles W. Misner
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<Charles W. Misner> co-developed the canonical formulation of <general relativity> with <Richard Arnowitt> and <Stanley Deser>. Their account separates spatial geometry from its <time> evolution, expressing the gravitational system through dynamical variables and constraint equations.<The Dynamics of General Relativity by Richard Arnowitt and others>[Original 1962 chapter: canonical variables and constraints; reproduced in 2004]{ref}
This turns spacetime evolution into an initial-value problem. Initial geometric data cannot be freely assigned component by component; they must satisfy the gravitational constraints.
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