Energy for N-body motion in two-dimensional gravity

A general definition of energy is given, via the Nöther theorem, for the N-body problem in (1 + 1)-dimensional gravity. Within a first-order Lagrangian framework, the density of energy of a solution relative to a background is identified with the superpotential of the theory. For specific applications we reproduce the expected Hamiltonian for the motion of N particles in a curved spacetime. This Hamiltonian agrees with that found through an ADM-like prescription for the energy when the latter is applicable, but it also extends to a wider class of solutions provided a suitable background is chosen.