Classical Mechanics

UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL

INSTITUTO DE FÍSICA

PROFª DRª MARIA BEATRIZ DE LEONE GAY DUCATI

Hamilton-Jacobi Theory and Action-Angle Variables

The equations of the old and new canonical variables are

the desired solution of the mechanical problem:

They give the coordinates and momenta as a function of

their initial values and the time.

2
The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

The new variables are constant in time by requiring that the

transformed Hamiltonian, K, shall be identically zero,
for then the equations of motion are:

(10.1)

3
The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

As we have seen, K must be related to the old

Hamiltonian and to the generating function by the
equation:

and hence will be zero if F satisfies the equation:

4
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function
To write the Hamiltonian in Eq. (10.2) as a function of the
same variables, use may be made of the equations of
transformation Eq. (9.17a):

(10.3)

Hamilton-Jacobi equation, constitutes a partial

differential equation in (n + 1) variables, qi , ... , qn , t. 5
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

The integration of Eq. (10.3) only provides the

dependence on the old coordinates and time; it would not
appear to tell how the new momenta are contained in S.

Indeed, the new momenta have not yet been specified

except that we know they must be constants.

However, the nature of the solution indicates how the

new Pi's are to be selected.

Eq. (10.3) has the form of a first-order partial

differential equation in n + 1 variables.
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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

Suppose there exists a solution to Eq. (10.3) of the form:

1 n 1 n+1 (10.4)

the quantities α1,..., αn + l are n + 1 independent constants of

integration.

Such solutions are known as complete solutions of the first-

order partial differential equation.

7
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

Hence, for our purposes a complete solution to

Eq. (10.3) can be written in the form:

1 n 1 n
(10.5)

Then, the new momenta:

(10.6)

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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

The n transformation equations (9.17a) can now be written as

(10.7)

where q, α stand for the complete set of quantities.

At the time t0, these constitute n equations relating the n α's
with the initial q and p values.
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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

The other half of the equations of transformation, which

provide the new constant coordinates, appear as:

(10.8)

The constant β's can be similarly obtained from the initial

conditions.

Equations ( 10.8) can then be "turned inside out" to furnish

qj in terms of α, β, and t:

(10.9)
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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

After the differentiation in Eqs. (10.7) has been performed,

Eqs. (10.9) may be substituted for the q's, thus giving the
momenta pi as functions of the α, β, and t:

(10.10)

Hamilton's principal function is thus the generator of a

canonical transformation to constant coordinates and
momenta.

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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

When solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, we are at the

same time obtaining a solution to the
mechanical problem.

To a certain extent, the choice of the αi's as the new

momenta is arbitrary.

We could choose any n quantities, γi, which are

independent functions of the αi constants of integration:

1
(10.11)

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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

Hamilton's principal function S:

the pi 's are constant in time. By Eqs. (10.7) and (10.3), this
relation can also be written

(10.12)

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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function

So that: (10.13)

The Hamiltonian does not depend explicitly upon the

time, Hamilton's principle function can be written in the
form:

(10.14)

W (q, α) is called Hamilton's characteristic function.

14
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
principal function
Comparing this expression to the results of substituting Eq.
(10.14) into Eq. (10.7):

(10.15)

(10.16)

(10.17)

The abbreviated action defined by Eq. (8.80). 15

The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

For the simple problem of a one-dimensional harmonic

oscillator, the Hamiltonian is:

(10.18)

where

(10.19)

16
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

We obtain the Hamilton-Jacobi equations for S by setting

p equal to ∂S/∂q and substituting in the Hamiltonian:

(10.20)

The Eq. (10.14) can be used to eliminate the time from

the Hamilton-Jacobi equation (10.20):

(10.21)
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The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The integration constant a is thus to be identified with the

total energy E.

(10.22)
18
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

So that: (10.23)

Solution for q arises out of the transformation equation

(10.8):

Integrated to give

(10.24)

19
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

(10.25)

(10.26)

or
(10.27)
.
This result checks with the simple identification of p as mq.
20
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

By squaring Eqs. (10.25) and (10.27), it is seen that α is

given in terms of q0 and p0 by the equation

(10.28)

α as the conserved total energy E.

The phase constant β is related to q0 and p0 by:

(10.27)
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The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The solution for q is substituted into Eq. (10.23), Hamilton's

principal function can be written as:

(10.30)

Now, the Lagrangian is:

S is the time integral of the Lagrangian 22

The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

For m the mass of the oscillating body and kx and ky be the

spring constants in the x- and y- directions, respectively, the
Hamiltonian is:

Where:

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The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The principal function can be written as a sum of the

characteristic function for each pair:

(10.31)

and the Hamilton-Jacobi equation assumes the form:

(10.32)

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The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

So that: (10.33)

we replace that term in (10.32) with αy from (10.33),

yielding

(10.34)

we write α - αy = αx showing the symmetry of Eqs.

(10.33) and (10.34). 25
 The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

(10.35)

the βi 's are phase constants and the total energy is given by

Assuming the oscillator is isotropic, so:

26
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

Use polar coordinates to write:

(10.36)

27
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The Hamiltonian now written as

(10.37)

The principle function can then be written as:

(10.38)

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 The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The canonical momentum pθ associated with the cyclic

coordinate, θ, is calculated from the generating function
(10.38):

has its expected constant value.

When this pθ is substituted into Eqs. (10.37) and (10.38), Wr(r,

α) satisfies:

(10.39)
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The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

We shall write the cartesian coordinate solution for these

conditions as:

(10.35’)

these to get the polar counterparts,

(10.40)
30
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

There are two limiting cases.

Linear case is when β = 0, for which

(10.41)

31
 The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method
The motion in an x-y plot will be an oscillation along a
diagonal line as shown in Fig. 10.l (a). The other limiting case is
when β = π/2, for which

(10.42)

The motion in an x-y plot for this limiting case is a circle of

radius r0 as is shown in Figure 10.l b.
For other values of β (0<β<π/2), the orbit in coordinate space
is an ellipse. The case for β = π/4 is shown in Fig. 10.1 c. 32
The harmonic oscillator problem as an example of
the Hamilton-Jacobi method

The plots shown in Fig. 10.1 are further examples of

Lissajous figures.

33
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Such a separation of variables using Hamilton's

characteristic function W(q, α) (Eq. (10.14)) is always
possible whenever the old Hamiltonian does not involve
time explicitly.

This provides us with the restricted Hamilton-Jacobi

equation

(10.43)

which no longer involves the time.

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The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Then the equations of transformation are:

(10.44)

W is that H is the new canonical momentum α1:

35
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Using Eqs. (10.44), this requirement becomes the partial

differential equation:

Since W does not involve the time, the new and old
Hamiltonians are equal, and it follows that K = α1.

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 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

The canonical equations for Pi, in fact, merely repeat the

statement that the momenta conjugate to the cyclic
coordinates are all constant:

(10.45)

Because the new Hamiltonian depends upon. only one of

the momenta αi, the equations of motion for Qi are:

37
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function
With the immediate solutions

(10.46)

The only coordinate that is not simply a constant of the

motion is Q1 , which is equal to the time plus a constant.

The conjugate relationship between the time as a coordinate

and the Hamiltonian as its conjugate momentum. 38
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Eqs. (10.45) and (10.46) can be solved for the qi as a function

of αi, βi and the time t.

The Hamiltonian will in general depend upon more than one

of the γi's and the equations of motion for Q.i become:

where the vi's are functions of γi.

In this case, all the new coordinates are linear functions of
time
(10.47)
39
The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

The two methods of solution are applicable when the Hamiltonian

.
We seek canonical transformations to new variables such that

40
The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Under these conditions, the new equations of motion become

with the immediate solutions:

which satisfy the stipulated requirements.

41
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

The generating function producing the desired transformation is Hamilton's

satisfying the Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equation:

A complete solution to the equation contains:

42
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

The new constant momenta, Pi = γi, can be chosen as any n independent

functions of the n constants of integration:

So that the complete solutions to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation may be

considered as functions of the new momenta:

In particular, the γi 's may be chosen to be the αi 's themselves. One-half of

the transformations equations,

43
 The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for Hamilton's
characteristic function

Are fulfilled automatically, since they have been used in constructing the
Hamilton-Jacobi equation. The other half

Can be solved for qi in terms of t and the 2n constants βi, γi.

When the Hamiltonian does not involve time explicitly, both methods are
suitable, and the generating functions are then related to each other
according to the formula

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