Let be the moment map for the circle group, assume is a regular value, and assume the circle action on is free. The action is proper because the circle is compact. Then has dimension and is a smooth manifold of dimension .
If generates the action, for every . In fact is exactly the line spanned by , since is a hyperplane and is nondegenerate. Therefore the kernel of the restricted two-form is precisely the orbit direction. The restriction is invariant and horizontal, so it descends to a unique nondegenerate closed two-form with
This proves the Marsden-Weinstein theorem in the circle case. If the Hamiltonian is invariant, then : its Hamiltonian flow stays on , projects to the quotient and is generated there by the descended function . This is a reduced Hamiltonian system in local variables. At a critical level or a nonfree orbit the quotient can be singular, so the smooth dimension assertion needs the stated hypotheses.
For a mass- particle in the plane with central force potential , work on and write
Exterior differentiation gives . Rotation translates and has moment map . Fix and quotient out to obtain the planar rotational symplectic reduction
The reduced equations are and . The centrifugal term arises from the conserved angular momentum; it is not an extra force imposed by hand. Reconstruct the angle from . For the origin cannot lie on the level; for the same local reduction holds away from the origin, while the full phase-space origin is a singular fixed orbit.
The Marsden-Weinstein theorem needs a Hamiltonian action, not merely an action by symplectomorphisms. Assume an equivariant moment map exists, choose a coadjoint-fixed regular value (zero is the usual choice), and assume the action on is free and proper. Regularity makes a submanifold of codimension . Equivariance and invariance of make invariant under , and freeness and properness give a smooth quotient . Thus
Let and . For and ,
Moreover the conormal of is spanned by the independent , so nondegeneracy of gives . The coadjoint-fixed value makes these orbit directions tangent to . Hence the kernel of is exactly the orbit tangent space. The restricted form is invariant and horizontal, so descends uniquely to a two-form with
It is closed because is closed. If a quotient tangent vector annihilates , any lift lies in the kernel just identified and is vertical; the quotient vector is therefore zero. This proves nondegeneracy and completes symplectic reduction.
If the action is not free, singular strata or orbifold phenomena may occur. At a general noncentral regular value one quotients by its coadjoint stabilizer , not by all of ; the regular dimension is . These are genuine hypotheses behind the stated dimension formula.
Both proposed examples can be given explicitly. For symplectic reduction of an isotropic oscillator, take two modes with
Its Hamiltonian flow is , a circle action with moment map . For , is the sphere of radius , and the action is free. The Hopf fibration identifies its quotient with . On the chart , use and choose a section with real positive. Pulling back to this section gives
Writing gives , whose integral is . This is the Fubini-Study form scaled by in the convention of area at unit scale. The reduced dimension is . At , the circle fixes the origin and the smooth regular-level hypotheses fail.
For a unit-mass free particle in the plane, use the rotation circle action with angular-momentum moment map . Choose so the entire level avoids and the action is free. Polar canonical coordinates have
Fixing and quotienting the rotation angle leaves
This planar rotational symplectic reduction replaces a planar free trajectory by radial motion with the centrifugal potential. A nonzero moment value is allowed because the circle is abelian and every value is coadjoint-fixed.
The Marsden-Weinstein theorem says that for a Hamiltonian group action, if is a regular value fixed by the coadjoint action and acts freely and properly on , then
is a symplectic manifold with a unique form characterized by , where includes the level set and is the quotient projection. Its dimension is .
Equip with the standard symplectic form
Let the circle group act by . Its generator is , and
Consequently the moment map in our convention is . It is invariant, hence equivariant because the circle group is abelian. The level is the sphere of radius ; it is regular, the circle group acts freely there, and properness follows from compactness of the group. The quotient is Complex projective space, by , a scaled Hopf fibration. The Marsden-Weinstein theorem therefore produces a reduced symplectic form on .
To identify it rather than only assert its existence, use the primitive
On the affine chart choose the local section of the quotient. Direct substitution gives
Differentiating, using , gives
This is the Fubini-Study form from circle reduction. The unit sphere instead produces half this form; our radius is exactly what gives the line-area normalization used above.