Solution of the Gribov problem from gauge invariance

A new approach to gauge fixed Yang-Mills theory is derived using the Polyakov-Susskind projection techniques to build gauge invariant states. In our approach, in contrast to the Faddeev-Popov method, the Gribov problem does not prevent the gauge group from being factored out of the partition function. Lattice gauge theory is used to illustrate the method via a calculation of the static quark-antiquark potential generated by the gauge fields in the fundamental modular region of Coulomb gauge.