The real vector space of symmetric matrices has dimension . On its invertible part the derivative of the determinant is
At a determinant-one symmetric matrix, this derivative is nonzero: the symmetric direction gives value . The regular level set theorem therefore yields
This applies to every signature component, not only positive-definite matrices.
The special linear congruence action on symmetric matrices preserves symmetry because , and preserves determinant because . The identity acts trivially and
These verify a smooth left Lie group action of the special linear group. By Sylvester's law of inertia, it also preserves the numbers of positive and negative eigenvalues.
For , parametrize the symmetric matrices by
Thus is exactly the two-sheeted hyperboloid
The two sheets consist respectively of positive-definite and negative-definite matrices. Each is preserved by the special linear congruence action on symmetric matrices. They are individually transitive: on the positive sheet with and ; on the negative sheet use . The stabilizer of either or is .
Differentiating the left Lie group action along gives the fundamental vector field
For the three matrices in the question, their coordinate components are
A sign convention matters here. With the usual Lie bracket of vector fields , the fundamental fields of this left action obey . Indeed, for linear coordinate fields , the bracket has coefficient . To obtain a Lie algebra representation rather than an anti-representation, use the infinitesimal left-action sign convention
An explicit answer is therefore
These are tangent to the two-sheeted hyperboloid: applying each to gives zero. For example,
They can be written on either sheet using :
Here the omitted component is determined by tangency, and derivatives of must be included when computing brackets in these coordinates.
Direct matrix multiplication gives
Direct differentiation of the displayed vector fields gives exactly
For instance, in ambient coordinates, . These are the defining relations of the sl2 Lie algebra. The three fields are linearly independent over constant real coefficients: if vanishes on a sheet, its coefficient forces , and its coefficient then equals , forcing . Thus the representation is faithful. Their pointwise span need only have dimension two, consistent with the dimension of each sheet.
A Poisson bivector is a smooth antisymmetric contravariant two-tensor
whose bracket on smooth functions,
satisfies the Jacobi identity. Bilinearity and antisymmetry are immediate, and the product rule makes the bracket a derivation in each argument. Together these properties define a Poisson manifold. Unlike a symplectic form, the Poisson bivector need not be nondegenerate.
Apply the Jacobi identity to the coordinate functions. Since ,
Changing to and rearranging the three summands gives the printed coordinate Jacobi condition for a Poisson bivector:
This is also sufficient: expanding the Jacobiator of three arbitrary smooth functions, all terms involving second derivatives cancel in pairs by antisymmetry. The remaining coefficient of is the coordinate-function Jacobiator displayed above.
For a Lie algebra, the natural global space carrying the proposed linear bracket is its dual space . If is the chosen basis, define its linear coordinate function by . The Lie-Poisson bracket is
where are elements of . On a general manifold the same coordinate expression gives a local construction; a global one requires compatible transition rules. The use of supplies that compatibility intrinsically.
Here and . The left side of the coordinate Jacobi condition for a Poisson bivector is therefore
The final coefficient is the negative of the coefficient of in the Lie algebra identity . Thus the Lie-Poisson bracket satisfies the Jacobi identity.
It remains to find the Lie algebra structure constants for the printed rotation fields. Distinguish their original spatial coordinates from the coordinates on the dual space. Use the conventional Lie bracket of vector fields. Their component vectors are , and , respectively. For example,
Similarly,
The negative sign is essential: these are the fundamental fields of a left rotation action with the stated Lie bracket of vector fields, and consequently have the infinitesimal left-action sign convention discussed above. The first field here has component , as printed in the PDF.
The Lie-Poisson bracket on the dual space consequently has
For the evolution convention , the Hamiltonian function has derivatives . Substitution gives the quadratic rotational Lie-Poisson dynamics
These are Euler-type Hamilton's equations on a noncanonical Poisson manifold. When , and with positive principal inertias, they are the Euler equations for a torque-free rigid body in body angular-momentum coordinates. As a check, is conserved by antisymmetry of the Poisson bracket, and is a Casimir function of a Poisson manifold. Direct differentiation of in the three equations cancels the terms . The Hamiltonian flow therefore lies on both an energy level and a sphere, a symplectic leaf of this signed rotational bracket.
The special linear group acts on determinant-one real symmetric matrices by matrix congruence. Symmetry and determinant are preserved, and signatures are preserved by Sylvester's law of inertia. The determinant-one set is a regular level set of dimension , with tangent directions satisfying . Its infinitesimal left-action fields are ; converting them to a Lie algebra representation requires the infinitesimal left-action sign convention.