(16) PoissonBrackets

1 Last Time
HamiltonianMechanics
H (p, q, t) = pq̇ − L (q, q̇, t)

CanonicalEquations
∂H ∂H
⇒ q̇ = , ṗ = −
∂p ∂q

∂H dH ∂H
= ⇒ = 0 ⇒ H = const
∂t dt ∂t
andoften H =E =T +U

2 Poisson Brackets
...howtofind conservedquantitiesinany problem.
Let’ssaywehavesomequantitydefinedasafunctionofp,q,andt (e.g. T
orU orE orL z orwhatever)andwewanttoknowifitisaconservedquantity
(constantintime).Howcanwetell?

1
 PoissonBrackets
df ∂f ∂f ∂f
= + q̇ + ṗ
dt ∂t ∂q ∂p
∂f ∂f ∂H ∂f ∂H
= + −
∂t ∂q ∂p ∂p ∂q
∂f
= + [H, f ]
∂t
∂H ∂f ∂H ∂f
where [H, f ] = −
∂p ∂q ∂q ∂p
So,iff isconservedandnotanexplicitfunctionoftime,itsPoissonbracketwith
H iszero.

df ∂f ∂f
[H, f ] = − ,soif = 0
dt ∂t ∂t
df
then [H, f ] = 0 ⇐⇒ = 0
dt
∂f ∂f
Interestingly,foranyf (t), [H, f ] = 0 simplybecause =
∂p =
∂q 0,orbecause
df ∂f
dt − ∂t = 0.Let’strythisout...

Example:Gravity,whatis Tdtd?
p2
H =T +U = + mgz
2m
Wewillneed a bunch ofpartialderivatives,solet’scomputethosefirst...

∂H p ∂H ∂T ∂T p
= , = mg , =0 , =
∂p m ∂z ∂z ∂p m
∂H ∂T ∂H ∂T
[H, T ] = − = −gp
∂p ∂z ∂z ∂p
d
= T
dt

2
Thus,therateofchangeofkineticenergyis−gp. Wecanconfirm thiseasilywith
withconservationofenergy

d dT dU
E=0⇒ =− = −mg ż = −gp
dt dt dt
ThegeneraldefinitionofthePoissonBracketforany two functionsinanN degrees
offreedomproblemis

N 
X 
∂f ∂g ∂f ∂g
[f, g ] = −
i
∂pi ∂q i ∂qi ∂pi
andithascertainpropertiesworthknowing

[f, g ] = − [g, f ] , [f, α] = 0 , [f, f ] = 0

[f + g, h] = [f, h] + [g, h] (distributive)
[f · g, h] = f [g, h] + g [f, h] (productrule)
⇒ [f 2 , g ] = 2f [f, g ]

∂f ∂f
[f, qi ] = , [f, pi ] = − (seedefinition)
∂pi ∂qi
⇒ [qj , qk ] = 0 , [pj , pk ] = 0 , [pj , qk ] = δjk

Thelastandpossibly mostinterestingoftheseiscomplicatedenoughtohavea
name

Jacobi’sIdentity
[f, [g, h]] + [g, [h, f ]] + [h, [f, g ]] = 0

which I willnotprovehere.
ThisbringsustoPoisson’sTheorem.

3
 Poisson’sTheorem
df dg d
if = 0 and = 0 then [f, g ] = 0
dt dt dt
whichinwordsis: iff andg arenotexplicitfunctionsoftime,andtheyarecon-
served,theirPoissonBracketisalsoconserved.Hereistheproof:

df ∂f dg ∂g
= =0 , = = 0 ⇒ [H, f ] = [H, g ] = 0
dt ∂t dt ∂t
Jacobi ⇒ [H, [f, g ]] + [f, [g, H ]] + [g, [H, f ]] = 0
d
⇒ [H, [f, g ]] = 0 ⇒ [f, g ] = 0
dt
Let’stryamoderatelycomplicatedexampleofPoisson’sTheorem.Considera
systeminwhichweknowthatangularmomentumL x andL y areconserved.What
canwesayaboutL z ? Any thing?

~
L = ~r × p~
Lx = ypz − zpy
Ly = zpx − xpz
Lz = xpy − ypx

Poisson ⇒ [L x , Ly ] = someconservedquantity

WewillneedsomepartialderivativestocomputethePBof L x andL y .

∂Lx ∂Lx
= {0, pz , −py } , = {0, −z, y}
∂~r ∂~p
∂Ly ∂Ly
= {−pz , 0, px } , = {z, 0, −x}
∂~r ∂~p

4
 ∂Lx ∂Ly ∂Lx ∂Ly
[Lx , Ly ] = · − · = ypx − xpy = −Lz
∂~p ∂~r ∂~r ∂~p

Thus,ifL x andL y areconserved,soisL z ! Thisisfor any potential. (L x andL y

mustbeconservedforanyinitial conditions,notconstrained.) Wealreadyknow
~ isconserved for acentralpotential, but let me show you how to prove itwith
L
PoissonBrackets...

if [H, L z ] = 0 ⇒ Lz = const
[T + U, Lz ] = [T, Lz ] + [U, Lz ]

Let’sdotheseoneatatime...

[T, Lz ] = [T, xpy − ypx ] = [T, xpy ] − [T, ypx ]

= ([T, x]py + [T, py ]x) − ([T, y ]px + [T, px ]y)

Itdoesn’t look like we arewinning, but what I am doing isbreaking this down into
smallenoughpartsthat Icanuse myidentities. Forinstance,

1
[T, px ] = [p2x + py2 + p2z , px ]
2m
2
[px , px ] = 2px [px , px ] = 0
⇒ [T, pi ] = 0 ∀i

p2 ∂T ∂p
sinceT = 2m containsnoq i ,i.e. ∂q = 0 and [p j , pk ] = 0 (since ∂q = 0),and

1 px px
[T, x] = [p2x , x] = [px , x] =
2m m m
notethat [p y , x ] = [pz , x ] = 0.Finally,

5
 px py py px
[T, Lz ] =− =0
m m
⇒ Lz conservedforfreeparticle!(andL x andL y )
Well, I guessweknewthat.Let’s do U ...

[U, Lz ] = ([U, x]py + [U, py ]x) − ([U, y ]px + [U, px ]y)

= [U, py ]x − [U, px ]y

where I havedropped 2 termssince [q j , qk ] = 0 andU (r) hasnop i init.

∂U ∂U ∂r
[U, py ] = − =−
∂y ∂r ∂y
∂U y
= −
∂r r
p ∂r 1 y
where r= x2 + y 2 + z 2 ⇒ = 2y =
∂y 2r r
PuttingthesetogethertofindthePBofL z withU ,

[U, Lz ] = [U, py ]x − [U, px ]y

∂U  y x 
= − x− y =0
∂r r r
That is howPoissonBracketmanipulation works. Break it downuntil you hit an
identityanddoyourbesttonever actuallycomputethederivatives.
Forthoseofyouwhohavetaken8.04,allofthisshouldlookVERY familiar.
Poisson Brackets are the commutators of classical mechanics, and they work in
ananalogousmanner. Forthoseofyouwhowilltake8.04soon,rememberthis,
becausemuchofQMhingesoncommutators!

6
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8.223 Classical Mechanics II

January IAP 2017

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