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A helical symmetry combines an axial rotation and a proportional axial translation. A helix with $z=b\theta$ is unchanged as a set by this transformation. If a mechanical Lagrangian is invariant, the Noether conserved quantity for a mechanical point symmetry is $L_z+b{P}_z$, where the two momenta include all moving components. Pure axial rotation and pure axial translation need not separately be symmetries. The helical symmetry of a potential is a related special case in which the constraint is replaced by an invariant potential.^[ref]

A potential $V(r,\varphi ,z)=f(r,\varphi -kz)$ is invariant under the screw transformation $(\varphi ,z)\mapsto (\varphi +ks,z+s)$. The Noether conserved quantity for a mechanical point symmetry isa linear combination of axial linear momentum and axial angular momentum.

In Lagrangian mechanics, let a one-parameter group on $Q$ have generator ${\xi }_Q={\xi }^i(q){\partial }_{q^i}$. Its tangent lift acts on $TQ$ asIf $L$ is invariant, ${\xi }_{TQ}L=0$. Along an Euler–Lagrange trajectory, the Noether conserved quantity for a mechanical point symmetry isbecauseThus the conserved quantity is explicitly derived, not merely attached to the name of a symmetry. If the change of $L$ is the total derivative $dB/dt$, then $p_i{\xi }^i-B$ is conserved. For a general point transformation with time component $\tau$, the conserved expression is $p_i{\xi }^i-E_L\tau -B$, provided the variation of $Ldt$ is $dB$. Time-translation invariance of an autonomous Lagrangian therefore yields conservation of energy.

In Hamiltonian mechanics, a cotangent-lifted action preserves $\theta$ and hence $\omega$. For its infinitesimal generator ${\xi }_{T^{\ast }Q}$, Cartan's magic formula giveswhere $J_{\xi }=p_i{\xi }^i$. These components define the canonical moment map $J:T^{\ast }Q\to {\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast }$, with $⟨J,\xi ⟩=J_{\xi }$. If $H$ is invariant, $\{H,J_{\xi }\}=0$, so ${\dot{J}}_{\xi }=\{J_{\xi },H\}=0$. This is the Hamiltonian form of Noether's theorem, and the Legendre transform in mechanics identifies its charges with the Lagrangian ones.

More generally, a Hamiltonian group action is an action whose infinitesimal symplectic generators have globally defined Hamiltonian functions. The existence of those functions is an assumption, not a consequence of every symplectic action. For example, translation on a symplectic two-torus preserves $dq\wedge dp$ but contraction with ${\partial }_q$ gives $dp$, which is closed and not globally exact. Such a symmetry need not have a globally single-valued moment-map component. On $T^{\ast }Q$, the cotangent lift does have the canonical components just derived. A Hamiltonian symmetry preserving $H$ gives a conserved generator; the global momentum-map hypotheses must be stated.

Letbe the infinitesimal generator of the continuous symmetry, and letbe the canonical momentum. Noether theorem states that along every trajectory satisfying the Euler-Lagrange equations,is conserved.

Indeed, differentiate the invariance of $L$ with respect to $s$ at zero:On an Euler-Lagrange trajectory, $\partial L/\partial q_i=d{p}_i/dt$, soThis proves the Noether conserved quantity for a mechanical point symmetry.

The continuous transformation $\theta \mapsto \theta +ϵ$, ${\theta }_B\mapsto {\theta }_B+ϵ$, $z\mapsto z+bϵ$, $r\mapsto r$ moves both endpoints by the same screw motion and preserves the fixed helix. Both $\Delta$ and $u$ are unchanged, so $\delta L=0$. Noether theorem therefore givesThis is the Noether conserved quantity for a mechanical point symmetry applied to helical symmetry. In physical Cartesian terms it equals total $z$ angular momentum plus $b$ times total $z$ linear momentum: the bead contributes $M{a}^2{\dot{\theta }}_B+b(Mb{\dot{\theta }}_B)$. Neither pure axial translation nor pure axial rotation preserves the fixed coil separately. Their conserved combination is a consequence of the helical symmetry, not two independently conserved momenta. Substitution of the four equations of motion verifies $\dot{\mathcal{Q}}=-kar\sin \Delta +k(ar\sin \Delta +bu)-bku=0$.^[ref]