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The Maslov index and nondegenerate singularities of integrable systems

J A Foxman1 and J M Robbins1,2

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Recommended by S Nonnenmacher

We consider integrable Hamiltonian systems in {\mathbb R}^{2n} with integrals of motion F = (F1, ..., Fn) in involution. Nondegenerate singularities of corank one are critical points of F where rank dF = n − 1 and which have definite linear stability. The set of corank-one nondegenerate singularities is a codimension-two symplectic submanifold invariant under the flow. We show that the Maslov index of a closed curve is a sum of contributions ± 2 from the nondegenerate singularities it encloses, the sign depending on the local orientation and stability at the singularities. For one-freedom systems this corresponds to the well-known formula for the Poincaré index of a closed curve as the oriented difference between the number of elliptic and hyperbolic fixed points enclosed. We also obtain a formula for the Liapunov exponent of invariant (n − 1)-dimensional tori in the nondegenerate singular set. Examples include rotationally symmetric n-freedom Hamiltonians, while an application to the periodic Toda chain is described in a companion paper (Foxman and Robbins 2005 Nonlinearity 18 2795–813).


PACS

02.30.Ik Integrable systems

02.40.-k Geometry, differential geometry, and topology

MSC

53D12 Lagrangian submanifolds; Maslov index

37K10 Completely integrable systems, integrability tests, bi-Hamiltonian structures, hierarchies (KdV, KP, Toda, etc.)

37J35 Completely integrable systems, topological structure of phase space, integration methods

Subjects

Mathematical physics

Dates

Issue 6 (November 2005)

Received 14 December 2004, in final form 16 September 2005

Published 7 October 2005



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