Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2006/ii/paper-1/15c/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ii Paper 1 15C b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The invariant is phase-space volume, or area for one degree of freedom. It does not require an autonomous Hamiltonian. The flow vector has divergence whenever the mixed derivatives agree. If is the Jacobian of the flow with respect to initial coordinates, then . Differentiating its determinant givesThus the change-of-variables formula shows that any region carried by the flow retains its area. This proves Liouville theorem in Hamiltonian mechanics even when depends on time.
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