On particular integrability in classical mechanics

Abstract

In this study the notion of particular integrability in Classical Mechanics, introduced in [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 46 025203, 2013], is revisited within the formalism of symplectic geometry. A particular integral $\cal I$ is a function not necessarily conserved in the whole phase space $T^*Q$ but when restricted to a certain invariant subspace ${\cal W}\subseteq T^*Q$ it becomes a Liouville first integral. For natural Hamiltonian systems, it is demonstrated that such a function $\cal I$ allows us to construct a lower dimensional Hamiltonian in $\cal W$. This symmetry reduction is intimately related with a phenomenon beyond separation of variables and it is based on an adaptive application of the classical results due to Lie and Liouville on integrability. Three physically relevant systems are used to illustrate the underlying key aspects of the symplectic theory approach to particular integrability: (I) the integrable central-force problem, (II) the chaotic two-body Coulomb system in a constant magnetic field as well as (III) the $N$-body system.