Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/ii/paper-1/32e/solution

A Poisson structure is a smooth antisymmetric matrix field defining a bracket
that obeys the Jacobi identity. Bilinearity, antisymmetry and the product rule follow from this formula; Jacobi is the remaining condition. Applying Jacobi to the coordinate functions gives
These are also sufficient: expanding Jacobi for arbitrary functions cancels all second-derivative terms by antisymmetry, leaving these coefficients multiplying their first derivatives.
For , the nonconstant function is a Casimir function of a Poisson manifold, because
by symmetry of . This is the usual three-dimensional Lie-Poisson bracket.
Since the matrix is symmetric, . The Hamilton equations are , and hence
One valid choice of coefficients is . If symmetric coefficients in are preferred, the same equations use
In vector notation the evolution is , consistent with the bracket convention and with preservation of .

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