A Class of Integrable Geodesic Flows on the Symplectic Group and the Symmetric Matrices

Abstract

This paper shows that the left-invariant geodesic flow on the symplectic group relative to the Frobenius metric is an integrable system that is not contained in the Mishchenko-Fomenko class of rigid body metrics. This system may be expressed as a flow on symmetric matrices and is bi-Hamiltonian. This analysis is extended to cover flows on symmetric matrices when an isomorphism with the symplectic Lie algebra does not hold. The two Poisson structures associated with this system, including an analysis of its Casimirs, are completely analyzed. Since the system integrals are not generated by its Casimirs it is shown that the nature of integrability is fundamentally different from that exhibited in the Mischenko-Fomenko setting.