Causal Propagation of Constraints and the Canonical Form of General Relativity

Studies of new hyperbolic systems for the Einstein evolution equations show that the ``slicing density'' $\alpha(t,x)$ can be freely specified while the lapse $N = \alpha g^{1/2}$ cannot. Implementation of this small change in the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner action principle leads to canonical equations that agree with the Einstein equations whether or not the constraints are satisfied. The constraint functions, independently of their values, then propagate according to a first order symmetric hyperbolic system whose characteristic cone is the light cone. This result follows from the twice-contracted Bianchi identity and constitutes the central content of the constraint ``algebra'' in the canonical formalism.