Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ii/paper-2/15c/a/solution

Hamilton's equations generate the phase-space vector field . Its divergence vanishes:
by equality of mixed derivatives. The Jacobian of the flow obeys with . Consequently is preserved for every time on which the smooth flow exists. This proves Liouville theorem in Hamiltonian mechanics directly; explicit time dependence of the Hamiltonian would not change the divergence argument.

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