Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2012 / iii / Paper 20 / 1

Use the standard symplectic form ${\omega }_0={\sum }_{j=1}^{n}d{q}_j\wedge d{p}_j$. A canonical transformation is a diffeomorphism $f$ preserving this symplectic form:Thus, writing $f(q,p)=(Q,P)$, the defining identity is ${\sum }_{j}d{Q}_j\wedge d{P}_j={\sum }_{j}d{q}_j\wedge d{p}_j$. For a local canonical transformation, require this on its open domain. In particular preservation of the symplectic form, rather than just of phase-space volume, is the condition in dimensions greater than two.

Throughout these solutions choose the Hamiltonian vector field convention ${\iota }_{X_F}\omega =dF$. It gives $\dot{q}=F_p$, $\dot{p}=-F_q$ and agrees with the positive coordinate Poisson bracket used below. The opposite convention for Hamiltonian vector fields changes signs in the Lie bracket of vector fields identity but none of the commuting or integrability conclusions.

The Poisson bracket in the original coordinates isFor $z=(q,p)$, setThen ${\omega }_0(u,v)=u^{T}Jv$ and $\{F,G\}=\nabla F^{T}J\nabla G$. The pullback definition of a canonical transformation gives the pointwise matrix conditionSince $A$ is invertible, this is equivalent to $AJ{A}^T=J$. Indeed, invert $A^{T}JA=J$ and use $J^{-1}=-J$ to obtain $A^{-1}J{A}^{-T}=J$, then multiply by $A$ and $A^T$. Applying the same calculation to the inverse implication gives equivalence. These are the two equivalent symplectic matrix identities that connect the symplectic form with Poisson brackets.

The chain rule yieldsIf $f$ is a canonical transformation, the symplectic matrix identity $AJ{A}^T=J$ makes this expression $\{F,G{\}}_{Q,P}\circ f$. Thus preservation of the symplectic form implies preservation of every Poisson bracket, for all $C^1$ functions.

Conversely, assume this Poisson bracket identity for every $F,G$. Take $F(Z)=u\cdot Z$ and $G(Z)=v\cdot Z$, for arbitrary constant vectors $u,v\in {\mathbb{R}}^{2n}$. It gives $u^{T}AJ{A}^{T}v=u^{T}Jv$. Since this holds for every $u,v$, $AJ{A}^T=J$, hence $A^{T}JA=J$. Therefore preservation of all Poisson brackets is equivalent to canonicity. Only first derivatives of $f,F,G$ enter this argument.

Apply preservation of Poisson brackets to the coordinate functions. It givesConversely, the entries of $AJ{A}^T$ are exactly the Poisson brackets between all transformed coordinate functions. The displayed relations therefore say $AJ{A}^T=J$, which implies the canonical transformation condition and, by the chain rule, preservation of every Poisson bracket. Thus all three conditions are equivalent:In particular the original coordinate bracket $\{q_i,p_j\}$ is ${\delta }_{ij}$ with the chosen Poisson bracket convention.

Under the given rank hypothesis, the necessary and sufficient local condition isVanishing only at the single point would not suffice: an extension preserves the coordinate Poisson brackets throughout its domain. Necessity follows from the coordinate criterion just proved.

For sufficiency, put $Q_i=a_i$ and $Y_i=X_{Q_i}$. Because the symplectic form is a nondegenerate bilinear form at every point, the independent differentials $d{Q}_i$ give independent fields $Y_1,\dots ,Y_n$. They commute, sinceMoreover $d{Q}_j(Y_i)=\{Q_j,Q_i\}=0$, so they span the tangent spaces of the $n$-dimensional fibres of the submersion $Q$. Choose a local section $s(Q)$ transverse to those fibres. Its joint local flow defines coordinates $(Q,t)$ byThe inverse function theorem makes $\Psi$ a local diffeomorphism, and commuting flows give ${\Psi }_{\ast }{\partial }_{t_i}=Y_i$.

In these coordinates ${\iota }_{{\partial }_{t_i}}{\Psi }^{\ast }{\omega }_0=d{Q}_i$. Each flow preserves the symplectic form, by Cartan's magic formula. Thus its coefficients are independent of $t$, andwhere $\beta =s^{\ast }{\omega }_0$ is a closed differential two-form on the base. On a small ball, the Poincaré lemma gives $\beta =d\alpha$, with $\alpha ={\sum }_i{\alpha }_i(Q)d{Q}_i$. DefineThenConsequently the original coordinates are extended to the required canonical transformation $(Q,P)$, with the prescribed first half $Q=a$. Its Jacobian matrix is invertible by construction. This is the canonical completion of independent commuting functions. For the printed $C^2$ data, the flows and resulting canonical transformation can be taken $C^1$, which is sufficient to preserve the symplectic form; smooth data give smooth coordinates.