Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/iii/paper-20/1/ii/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 20 1 ii b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
The chain rule yieldsIf is a canonical transformation, the symplectic matrix identity makes this expression . Thus preservation of the symplectic form implies preservation of every Poisson bracket, for all functions.
Conversely, assume this Poisson bracket identity for every . Take and , for arbitrary constant vectors . It gives . Since this holds for every , , hence . Therefore preservation of all Poisson brackets is equivalent to canonicity. Only first derivatives of enter this argument.
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