Solutions to Problems in Goldstein,

Classical Mechanics, Second Edition

Homer Reid
October 29, 2002
Chapter 9
Problem 9.1
One of the attempts at combining the two sets of Hamiltons equations into one
tries to take q and p as forming a complex quantity. Show directly from Hamiltons
equations of motion that for a system of one degree of freedom the transformation
Q = q + ip, P = Q

is not canonical if the Hamiltonian is left unaltered. Can you nd another set of
coordinates Q

, P

that are related to Q, P by a change of scale only, and that are

canonical?
Generalizing a little, we put
Q = (q + ip), P = (q ip). (1)
The reverse transformation is
q =
1
2
_
1

Q +
1

P
_
, p =
1
2i
_
1

Q
1

P
_
.
The direct conditions for canonicality, valid in cases (like this one) in which the
1
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 2
transformation equations do not depend on the time explicitly, are
Q
q
=
p
P
Q
p
=
q
P
P
q
=
p
Q
P
p
=
q
Q
.
(2)
When applied to the case at hand, all four of these yield the same condition,
namely
=
1
2i
.
For = = 1, which is the case Goldstein gives, these conditions are clearly
not satised, so (1) is not canonical. But putting = 1, =
1
2i
we see that
equations (1) are canonical.
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 3
Problem 9.2
(a) For a one-dimensional system with the Hamiltonian
H =
p
2
2

1
2q
2
,
show that there is a constant of the motion
D =
pq
2
Ht.
(b) As a generalization of part (a), for motion in a plane with the Hamiltonian
H = |p|
n
ar
n
,
where p is the vector of the momenta conjugate to the Cartesian coordinates,
show that there is a constant of the motion
D =
p r
n
Ht.
(c) The transformation Q = q, p = P is obviously canonical. However, the same
transformation with t time dilatation, Q = q, p = P, t

=
2
t, is not. Show
that, however, the equations of motion for q and p for the Hamiltonian in part
(a) are invariant under the transformation. The constant of the motion D is
said to be associated with this invariance.
(a) The equation of motion for the quantity D is
dD
dT
= {D, H} +
D
t
The Poisson bracket of the second term in D clearly vanishes, so we have
=
1
2
{pq, H} H
=
1
4
_
pq, p
2
_

1
4
_
pq,
1
q
2
_
H. (3)
The rst Poisson bracket is
_
pq, p
2
_
=
(pq)
q
(p
2
)
p

(pq)
p
(p
2
)
q
= (p)(2p) 0
= 2p
2
(4)
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 4
Next,
_
pq,
1
q
2
_
=
(pq)
q

_
1
q
2
_
p

(pq)
p

_
1
q
2
_
q
= 0
_

2
q
3
_
q
=
2
q
2
(5)
Plugging (4) and (5) into (3), we obtain
dD
dt
=
p
2
2

1
2q
2
H
= 0.
(b) We have
H = (p
2
1
+ p
2
2
+ p
2
3
)
n/2
a(x
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ x
2
3
)
n/2
so
H
x
i
= anx
i
(x
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ x
2
3
)
n/21
H
p
i
= 2np
i
(p
2
1
+ p
2
2
+ p
2
3
)
n/21
.
Then
{p r, H} =

i
_
(p
1
x
1
+ p
2
x
2
+ p
3
x
3
)
x
i
H
p
i

(p
1
x
1
+ p
2
x
2
+ p
3
x
3
)
p
i
H
x
i
_
=

i
_
np
2
i
(p
2
1
+ p
2
2
+ p
2
3
)
n/21
anx
2
i
(x
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ x
2
3
)
n/21
_
= n(p
2
1
+ p
2
2
+ p
2
3
)
n/2
an(x
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ x
2
3
)
n/2
(6)
so if we dene D = p r/n Ht, then
dD
dT
= {D, H}
D
t
=
1
n
{p r, H}
D
t
Substituting in from (6),
= |p|
n
ar
n
H
= 0.
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 5
(c) We put
Q(t

) = q
_
t

2
_
, P(t

) =
1

p
_
t

2
_
. (7)
Since q and p are the original canonical coordinates, they satisfy
q =
H
p
= p
p =
H
q
=
1
q
3
.
(8)
On the other hand, dierentiating (7), we have
dQ
dt

=
1

q
_
t

2
_
=
1

p
_
t

2
_
= P(t

)
dP
dt

=
1

3
p
_
t

2
_
=
1

3
1
q
_
t

2
_
=
1
Q
3
(t

)
which are the same equations of motion as (8).
Problem 9.4
Show directly that the transformation
Q = log
_
1
p
sin p
_
, P = q cot p
is canonical.
The Jacobian of the transformation is
M =
_
Q
q
Q
p
P
q
P
p
_
=
_

1
q
cot p
cot p q csc
2
p
_
.
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 6
Hence

MJM =
_

1
q
cot p
cot p q csc
2
p
__
0 1
1 0
__

1
q
cot p
cot p q csc
2
p
_
=
_

1
q
cot p
cot p q csc
2
p
__
cot p q csc
2
p
1
q
cot p
_
=
_
0 csc
2
p cot
2
p
cot
2
p csc
2
p 0
_
=
_
0 1
1 0
_
= J
so the symplectic condition is satised.
Problem 9.5
Show directly for a system of one degree of freedom that the transformation
Q = arctan
q
p
, P =
q
2
2
_
1 +
p
2

2
q
2
_
is canonical, where is an arbitrary constant of suitable dimensions.
The Jacobian of the transformation is
M =
_
_
Q
q
Q
p
P
q
P
p
_
_
=
_
_
_

p
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2

_
q
p
2
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2
q
p

_
_
.
so

MJM =
_
_
_
_

p
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2
q

_
q
p
2
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2
p

_
_
_
_
_
q
p

p
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2
+
_
q
p
2
_
1
1+(
q
p
)
2
_
_
=
_
_
0 1
1 0
_
_
= J
so the symplectic condition is satised.
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 7
Problem 9.6
The transformation equations between two sets of coordinates are
Q = log(1 + q
1/2
cos p)
P = 2(1 + q
1/2
cos p)q
1/2
sin p
(a) Show directly from these transformation equations that Q, P are canonical
variables if q and p are.
(b) Show that the function that generates this transformation is
F
3
= (e
Q
1)
2
tan p.
(a) The Jacobian of the transformation is
M =
_
_
Q
q
Q
p
P
q
P
p
_
_
=
_
_
_
1
2
_
q
1/2
cos p
1+q
1/2
cos p

q
1/2
sin p
1+q
1/2
cos p
q
1/2
sin p + 2 cos p sinp 2q
1/2
cos p + 2q cos
2
p 2q sin
2
p
_
_
=
_
_
_
1
2
_
q
1/2
cos p
1+q
1/2
cos p

q
1/2
sin p
1+q
1/2
cos p
q
1/2
sin p + sin 2p 2q
1/2
cos p + 2q cos 2p
_
_
.
Hence we have

MJM =
_
_
_
1
2
_
q
1/2
cos p
1+q
1/2
cos p
q
1/2
sinp + sin2p

q
1/2
sin p
1+q
1/2
cos p
2q
1/2
cos p + 2q cos 2p
_
_

_
_
q
1/2
sin p + sin 2p 2q
1/2
cos p + 2q cos 2p

_
1
2
_
q
1/2
cos p
1+q
1/2
cos p
q
1/2
sin p
1+q
1/2
cos p
_
_
=
_
_
0
cos
2
p+sin
2
p+q
1/2
cos p cos 2p+q
1/2
sin p sin 2p
1+q
1/2
cos p

cos
2
p+sin
2
p+q
1/2
cos p cos 2p+q
1/2
sin p sin 2p
1+q
1/2
cos p
0
_
_
=
_
_
0 1
1 0
_
_
= J
so the symplectic condition is satised.
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 8
(b) For an F
3
function the relevant relations are q = F/p, P = F/Q.
We have
F
3
(p, Q) = (e
Q
1)
2
tan p
so
P =
F
3
Q
= 2e
Q
(e
Q
1) tanp
q =
F
3
p
= (e
Q
1)
2
sec
2
p.
The second of these may be solved to yield Q in terms of q and p:
Q = log(1 + q
1/2
cos p)
and then we may plug this back into the equation for P to obtain
P = 2q
1/2
sinp + q sin 2p
as advertised.
Problem 9.7
(a) If each of the four types of generating functions exist for a given canonical
transformation, use the Legendre transformation to derive relations between
them.
(b) Find a generating function of the F
4
type for the identity transformation and
of the F
3
type for the exchange transformation.
(c) For an orthogonal point transformation of q in a system of n degrees of freedom,
show that the new momenta are likewise given by the orthogonal transforma-
tion of an ndimensional vector whose components are the old momenta plus
a gradient in conguration space.
Problem 9.8
Prove directly that the transformation
Q
1
= q
1
, P
1
= p
1
2p
2
Q
2
= p
2
, P
2
= 2q
1
q
2
is canonical and nd a generating function.
After a little hacking I came up with the generating function
F
13
(p
1
, Q
1
, q
2
, Q
2
) = (p
1
2Q
2
)Q
1
+ q
2
Q
2
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 9
which is of mixed F
3
, F
1
type. This is Legendre-transformed into a function of
the F
1
type according to
F
1
(q
1
, Q
1
, q
2
, Q
2
) = F
13
+ p
1
q
1
.
The least action principle then says
p
1
q
1
+ p
2
q
2
H(q
i
, p
i
) = P
1

Q
1
+ P
2

Q
2
K(Q
i
, P
i
) +
F
13
p
1
p
1
+
F
13
Q
1

Q
1
+
F
13
q
2
q
2
+
F
13
Q
2

Q
2
+ p
1
q
1
+ q
1
p
1
whence clearly
q
1
=
F
13
p
1
= Q
1

P
1
=
F
13
Q
1
= p
1
2Q
2
= p
1
2p
2

p
2
=
F
13
q
2
= Q
2

P
2
=
F
13
Q
2
= 2Q
1
q
2
= 2q
1
q
2
.
Problem 9.14
By any method you choose show that the following transformation is canonical:
x =
1

(
_
2P
1
sin Q
1
+ P
2
), p
x
=

2
(
_
2P
1
cos Q
1
Q
2
)
y =
1

(
_
2P
1
cos Q
1
+ Q
2
), p
y
=

2
(
_
2P
1
sin Q
1
P
2
)
where is some xed parameter.
Apply this transformation to the problem of a particle of charge q moving in a plane
that is perpendicular to a constant magnetic eld B. Express the Hamiltonian for
this problem in the (Q
i
, P
i
) coordinates, letting the parameter take the form

2
=
qB
c
.
From this Hamiltonian obtain the motion of the particle as a function of time.
We will prove that the transformation is canonical by nding a generating
function. Our rst step to this end will be to express everything as a function
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 10
of some set of four variables of which two are old variables and two are new.
After some hacking, I arrived at the set {x, Q
1
, p
y
, Q
2
}. In terms of this set, the
remaining quantities are
y =
_
1
2
x
1

2
p
y
_
cot Q
1
+
1

Q
2
(9)
p
x
=
_

2
4
x
1
2
p
y
_
cot Q
1

2
Q
2
(10)
P
1
=
_

2
x
2
8

1
2
xp
y
+
1
2
2
p
2
y
_
csc
2
Q
1
(11)
P
2
=

2
x +
1

p
y
(12)
We now seek a generating function of the form F(x, Q
1
, p
y
, Q
2
). This is of mixed
type, but can be related to a generating function of pure F
1
character according
to
F
1
(x, Q
1
, y, Q
2
) = F(x, Q
1
, p
y
, Q
2
) yp
y
.
Then the principle of least action leads to the condition
p
x
x + p
y
y = P
1

Q
1
+ P
2

Q
2
+
F
x
x +
F
p
y
p
y
+
F
Q
1

Q
1
+
F
Q
2

Q
2
+ y p
y
+ p
y
y
from which we obtain
p
x
=
F
x
(13)
y =
F
p
y
(14)
P
1
=
F
Q
1
(15)
P
2
=
F
Q
2
. (16)
Doing the easiest rst, comparing (12) and (16) we see that F must have
the form
F(x, Q
1
, p
y
, Q
2
) =

2
xQ
2

p
y
Q
2
+ g(x, Q
1
, p
y
). (17)
Plugging this in to (14) and comparing with (14) we nd
g(x, Q
1
, p
y
) =
_

1
2
xp
y
+
1
2
2
p
2
y
_
cot Q
1
+ (x, Q
1
). (18)
Plugging (17) and (18) into (13) and comparing with (10), we see that

x
=

2
4
xcot Q
1
Homer Reids Solutions to Goldstein Problems: Chapter 9 11
or
(x, Q
1
) =

2
x
2
8
cot Q
1
. (19)
Finally, combining (19), (18), (17), and (15) and comparing with (11) we see
that we may simply take (Q
1
) 0. The nal form of the generating function
is then
F(x, Q
1
, p
y
, Q
2
) =
_

2
x +
1

p
y
_
Q
2
+
_

2
x
2
8

1
2
xp
y
+
1
2
2
p
2
y
_
cot Q
1
and its existence proves the canonicality of the transformation.
Turning now to the solution of the problem, we take the B eld in the z
direction, i.e. B = B
0

k, and put
A =
B
0
2
_
y

i + x

j
_
.
Then the Hamiltonian is
H(x, y, p
x
, p
y
) =
1
2m
_
p
q
c
A
_
2
=
1
2m
_
_
p
x
+
qB
0
2c
y
_
2
+
_
p
y

qB
0
2c
x
_
2
_
=
1
2m
_
_
p
x
+

2
2
y
_
2
+
_
p
y

2
2
x
_
2
_
where we put
2
= qB/c. In terms of the new variables, this is
H(Q
1
, Q
2
, P
1
, P
2
) =
1
2m
_
_

_
2P
1
cos Q
1
_
2
+
_

_
2P
1
sin Q
1
_
2
_
=

2
m
P
1
=
c
P
1
where
c
= qB/mc is the cyclotron frequency. From the Hamiltonian equations
of motion applied to this Hamiltonian we see that Q
2
, P
1
, and P
2
are all constant,
while the equation of motion for Q
1
is

Q
1
=
H
P
1
=
c
Q
1
=
c
t +
for some phase . Putting r =

2P
1
/, x
0
= P
2
/, y
0
= Q
2
/ we then have
x = r(sin
c
t + ) + x
0
, p
x
=
m
c
2
[r cos(
c
t + ) y
0
]
y = r(cos
c
t + ) + y
0
, p
y
=
m
c
2
[r sin(
c
t + ) + x
0
]
in agreement with the standard solution to the problem.