Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/iii/paper-313/2/solution

The special orthogonal group in three dimensions is
Differentiating at the identity shows that its Lie algebra is the space of skew-symmetric matrices. A convenient basis is
with .
The infinitesimal action of on a point is . It therefore generates the vector field
Fundamental vector fields for this left action form an antihomomorphism with the stated convention, and direct differentiation gives
so their span is closed under the Lie bracket of vector fields.
The brackets , , and define the rotational Lie-Poisson structure on R3. With the convention that a Hamiltonian vector field acts by ,
Hence the required Hamiltonians are simply
The quadratic function
satisfies for all , so it is a Casimir function of a Poisson manifold. Its nonzero regular level sets are spheres. The Poisson tensor has rank two there and is tangent to each level set, so it inverts to a symplectic form; each sphere is a symplectic leaf. Rotations preserve both and the alternating tensor , hence preserve the restricted Poisson tensor and its inverse symplectic form. The action therefore restricts to a symplectic action on every sphere .

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