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For the homogeneous linear differential equation $\dot{Y}=K(t)Y$ with continuous coefficient matrix of period $P>0$, the monodromy matrix of a periodic linear system is the one-period map from $Y(0)$ to $Y(P)$. If $X$ is any fundamental matrix,Its eigenvalues are the Floquet multipliers. Multipliers are nonzero, since a fundamental matrix is invertible. Changing the starting phase conjugates $N$, so the Floquet multipliers and Jordan blocks are independent of that choice.^[ref]

This turns a continuous-time problem into repeated matrix multiplication:If $Nv=mv$, the associated solution of a differential equation obeys $Y(t+P)=mY(t)$ at every time, not merely at the sampled times. In particular, $Nv=v$ gives a nonzero $P$-periodic solution, and every nonzero $P$-periodic solution arises this way. If $Nv=-v$, the state changes sign after one period and repeats after two. A unit-modulus Floquet multiplier different from $1$ need not give repetition after one period, and a generalized eigenvector in a nontrivial Jordan block need not even give bounded motion.

For the scalar example under periodic solution, $N$ is the one-by-one matrix $(e^{2\pi a})$. Numerically solving a matrix problem uses the same idea: integrate one initial value problem for each column of $X(0)=I$ through one period, then compute the eigenvalues of $X(P)$. This is useful when an explicit solution of a differential equation is unavailable: one period determines the Floquet growth rate over arbitrarily many periods.

For piecewise constant coefficients, which are also covered by the one-period construction, $N$ is the time-ordered product of the segment matrix exponentials, with the earliest segment on the right. For example, take period $P=2$ and alternateSince $K_1^2=K_2^2=0$,Replacing the coefficient by its mean would instead give $e^{K_1+K_2}=\left(\begin{array}{cc}\cosh 1& \sinh 1\\ \sinh 1& \cosh 1\end{array}\right)$ and the incorrect rate $0.5$. The matrices do not commute. The scalar mean-coefficient formula therefore cannot simply be transferred to matrix systems. Nevertheless the Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix gives the correct determinant even in the noncommuting case:In the example, this is $1=m_{+}{m}_{-}$; it fixes the product of the Floquet multipliers, rather than either multiplier separately.

In Sur les équations différentielles linéaires à coefficients périodiques (1883), Gaston Floquet calls a function satisfying $f(t+P)=mf(t)$ periodic of the second kind, and distinguishes the genuinely periodic function obtained when $m=1$. This historical terminology captures precisely the difference between repetition of the coefficient and repetition of the state.^[ref]

Let $S_{s,t}(y)$ be the position at time $t$ of the characteristic curve satisfying $X(s)=y$ and $\dot{X}=u(t,X)$. Smooth uniqueness implies $S_{t,s}=S_{s,t}^{-1}$. Differentiating in the initial point gives the variational equationThe Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix, or the derivative formula for a determinant, therefore givesBecause $u=(-{\varphi }_{x_2},{\varphi }_{x_1})$, the mixed second derivatives cancel and $\mathrm{div}u=0$. The initial Jacobian determinant is one, soThus this Hamiltonian flow preserves planar Lebesgue measure. This calculation assumes smoothness as in the part; a rough-flow conclusion later must be justified by approximation rather than by differentiating a merely continuous velocity.

Let $A(t)=D_{(x,v)}(X,V)$ along one characteristic curve. Differentiating the characteristic equation gives $\dot{A}=D_{z}b(t,X,V)A$, $A(0)=I_6$, with $b=(V,F)$. The Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix then gives the phase-space flow JacobianIndeed $\mathrm{tr}{D}_{z}b={\mathrm{div}}_{x,v}(v,F)={\nabla }_v\cdot F$, since $v$ is independent of $x$. Differentiation proves $\dot{J}=({\nabla }_v\cdot F)J$. If that divergence vanishes, $J(0)=1$ gives $\boxed{J\equiv 1}$ and the flow preserves Lebesgue measure on phase space.

The linearized perturbation obeys $\dot{\eta }=D\mathbf{f}(\mathbf{X}(t))\eta$, so its fundamental matrix satisfiesThe Floquet multipliers are the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix $\Phi (T)$. Differentiating the orbit equation shows that $\dot{\mathbf{X}}(t)=\mathbf{f}(\mathbf{X}(t))$ is a solution of the variational equation. For a nonconstant periodic orbit this tangent solution is nonzero and periodic, giving one multiplier equal to $1$.

The Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix gives $(\det \Phi {)}^{\prime }=(\mathrm{tr}D\mathbf{f})\det \Phi$. Since $\det \Phi (0)=1$, the product of the two multipliers is $\exp ({\int }_0^T\nabla \cdot \mathbf{f}(\mathbf{X}(t))dt)$. The other multiplier is therefore exactly this exponential.

The Jacobian determinant of a differentiable characteristic flow map measures its change of volume. The variational equation and the Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix give the displayed formula for a complete smooth field $b$. For kinetic advection with $b=(v,F)$, its divergence is ${\nabla }_v\cdot F$. A zero divergence preserves phase-space Lebesgue measure.

Differentiating a smooth characteristic flow map in its initial point gives this linear equation, with $Y(s)=I$. The Liouville formula for a fundamental matrix then gives $\det Y(t)=\exp ({\int }_s^t\mathrm{div}b(r,X(r))dr)$. Incompressible Hamiltonian flows preserve Lebesgue measure because this divergence vanishes.