PH6041 Advanced Mathematical Methods for Physics

Lecture 16: 170328

Symplectic geometry
Classical Mechanics & the fundamental formulation of dynamical laws.

(1) A good illustration of the mathematics that we have been discussing.

(2) Applications of geometry to physics that should be better known.
(3) This goes deep into the very nature of our physical theories.

Symplectic geometry
(M, ) : 2 M s.t.
V

(a) non-degenerate:
determines an isomorphism between T M and T M , in finite dimensions n 6= 0
(b) closed d = 0
dim M = 2n

T M 3 x 7 x[ := x = (x, ) T M
T M T M an isomorphism (1 to 1, invertible)

recall d = 0 = = d (locally)
many symmetries x = x = dH (locally)
Darboux (locally) yk , xk s.t. = yk dxk , = dyk dxk

References: Abraham & Marsden, Arnold

every cotangent bundle has a natural symplectic structure

Q
M = T Q Q

T Q Q
T M = T (T Q) M = T Q Q

TQ
T T Q(q k , v k ; qk , vk )(4n) T Q(q k , qk )
T Q Q
Q
T Q(q k , v k )(2n) Q(q k )(n)

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 T T Q(q k , v k ; qk , vk )(4n)
T Q
TQ
(4n)T (T Q)(q k , pk ; q`k , p`k ) T Q(q k , v k )(2n)
T Q FL . Q
Q
(2n)T Q(q k , pk ) Q(q k )(n)
qk
T Q &id Q
T
Q
(4n)T T Q(q k , pk ; rk , sk ) T Q(q k , pk )(2n)

briefly, the canonical one-form on the cotangent bundle is pq := TQ (pq )

h|Xi(q, p) = hTQ (pq )|X(q,p) i = hp|TQ Xiq = hT Q X|TQ Xi(q,p)
This elegant abstraction is purely geometric, i.e., coordinate independent;
yet it may seem much more understandable in terms of local coordinates.
A one form on T Q is of the form = rk (q i , pj )dq k + sk (q i , pj )dpk .
The canonical choice is rk (q i , pj ) = pk , sk (q i , pj ) = 0.
Hence (q,p) = pk dq k , simple.

L(Lagrangian)
(q k , v l ) R
d L
F L, fiber derivative hF L(V q)|Ei := |
d 0
L(q, V + W ) = V k
Wk
L
locally F L(q, v) = v k
dq k

Let me note the convention problem:

x = dH or +dH?, = d or d? = pk dq k or pk dq k ?
f g g f
{f, g} = pk q k
pk q k

As far as I know, every option has at least one awkward sign.

An elementary example illustrating the symplectic nature of things

(from Kijowski & Tulczyjew Symplectic framework for field theories)
spring (2 variables) : F,L

2
 independent dependent
control response
L F
F L

= dF dL = d(F dL) = d(LdF )

= 0 corresponds to
(a) F dL = dU (i.e. F (L) = dU/dL), or
(b) LdF = dV (i.e., L(F ) = dV /dF ).
In both cases the physical state corresponds to a one-dimensional subset of the 2D
state space.

More generally, for each specific choice of n independent physical control variables,
one expects exactly n dependent physical response variables (after making allowances
for the unphysical gauge freedom).
Thee is a lot of freedom in the possible choices, but also some limitations.

Example:
Thermodynamics: 4D state space T, S, P, V
symplectic form: = dT dS + dV dP
4 obvious control modes,1 each associated with a one-form s.t. d = :
E := T dS P dV
F := SdT P dV
G := SdT + V dP
H := T dS + V dP
= dE = dF = dG = dH = dT dS + dV dP
state space: a symplectic manifold (4-dim),
an actual physical system is special type of 2 dimensional submanifold.
L
a Lagrangian submanifold : P , (M, )

recall if M N
1
There are many other more complicate ones, e.g., = aE + bF + cG + dH with a + b + c + d = 1.

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Vk Vk
M N (a b) = ( a) ( b) (algebra pullback)

But I forgot to mention an extremely important property enjoyed by differential forms,

namely pullback commutes with the differential :

(da) = d( a)

From the above one can conclude that it is sufficient to check this on functions:
h (df )|Xi = hdf | Xi = ( X)(f ) = X( f ) = hd( f )|Xi.
f f y a f y a
Locally this simply means things like df (y a (xi )) = y a
dy a = ( dxi )
y a xi
= ( y a xi )dx
i

|P := L = 0
0 = |P = (d) |P = d( |P )
|P is closed = |P is (at least locally) exact.
exact means it has a generating function, a kind of potential : = dL
Hence Lagrangian submanifolds are always generated by a function,
a kind of generalized Lagrangian.

We saw this in thermodynamics:

E E
T (S, V )dS P (S, V )dV = E |P = dE(S, V ) = S
dS + V
dV
E E
T (S, V ) = S
|V , P (S, V ) = V
|S

F F
S(T, V )dT P (T, V )dV = F |P = dF (T, V ) = T
dT + V
dV
F F
S(T, V ) = T
|V , P (T, V ) = V
|T

G G
S(T, P )dT + V (T, P )dP = G |P = dG(S, V ) = T
dT + P
dP
G G
S(T, P ) = | ,
T P
V (T, P ) = |
P T

H H
T (S, P )dS + V (S, P )dP = H |P = dH(S, P ) = S
dS + P
dP
H H
T (S, P ) = S
|P , V (S, P ) = P
|S

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Now let us look at the applications of this universal dynamical principle in classical
mechanics.

Phase space is the cotangent bundle of a configuration space:

and every cotangent bundle is naturally a symplectic manifold,
canonical one-form = pk dq k on T Q
canonical symplectic form = dpk dq k
a Lagrangian submanifold satisfies |P = 0 = d(|P ) = 0 = P = dS,
S S
in local canonical coordinates pk dq k = dS(q k ) = q k
dq k , i.e., pk = q k
.
Recall that the action is the integral of the Lagrangian along the path:
R
S = L(q, q)dt.

Consider the Hamiltonian form of the action for a conservative system, H = E = const.
R R R R R
S = L(q, q)dt
= (pk qk H)dt = pk dq k E dt = Et + pk dq k
S S
hence dS = pk dq k Edt, q k
= pk , t
= E
so S
t
S
= E = H(q, p) = H( q k
k , q ) one P.D.E for S.

This is the Hamiltonian-Jacobi equation.

If you can find the general solution of this PDE you can calculate everything.

in contrast Hamiltonian equations are 2n ODEs

dq k H dpk H
dt
= pk
dt
= q k

x = dH
x (dpk dq k ) = dH
(x dpk )dq k dpk (x dq k ) = (x pk )dq k dpk x q k = dH

Here are concise forms of the equations of classical mechanics:

p dq k dp qk = dH
k k
p dq k + p dqk = dL
k k

They can be understood in terms of the symplectic form

d d
= dpk dq k + dpk dqk ' (dpk dq k ) =
dt dt

involving the variables q k , pk , qk , pk T (T Q) ' T (T Q) the big phase space

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physical states satisfy |P = 0,
i.e. a state of real physical system is a Lagrangian submanifold. (half the dimensions)

= dL = dH

d
L := pk dq k + pk dqk ' ( )
dt T Q

H := pk dq k qk dpk

if |P = 0 then |P = (dL ) |P = d(L |P ) = (at least locally)L |P = dL

L L
pk dq k + pk dqk = q k
dq k + qk
dqk
L L
= pk = q k
, pk = qk

|P = (dH ) |P = d(H |P ) = (at least locally)H |P = dH

H H
pk dq k qk dpk = p k
dpk qk
dqk
H H
= pk = q k, qk = pk

= dfi dq i , = fi dq i , = d
fi
0 = d |P = dfi dq i |P = q k
dq k dq i
fi fj
q j
= q i
Reciprocity
Reciprocity = Potentiality
Fx Fy
e.g. y
= x
=, Fx = x U, Fy = y U

One application: geometric quantization

The starting point is a choice of Lagrangian submanifold for phase space
(= the contangent bundle of configuration space)
This choice corresponds to the choice of a maximal number of commuting observables.
Simple examples include, (i) all the coordinates, (ii) all the momenta, (iii) for each i
i = 1, 2, . . . n, choose either q i or pi , e.g., (q 1 , q 2 , p3 , q 4 , p5 , p6 , q 7 . . . ).