Jonathan M. Kress

Completeness of superintegrability in two-dimensional constant-curvature spaces

We classify the Hamiltonians H = px2 + py2 + V(x,y) of all classical superintegrable systems in two-dimensional complex Euclidean space with two additional second-order constants of the motion. We similarly classify the superintegrable Hamiltonians H = J12 + J22 + J32 + V(x, y, z) on the complex two-sphere where x2 + y2 + z2 = 1. This is achieved in all generality using properties of the complex Euclidean group and the complex orthogonal group.

Superintegrable systems in Darboux spaces

Almost all research on superintegrable potentials concerns spaces of constant curvature. In this paper we find by exhaustive calculation, all superintegrable potentials in the four Darboux spaces of revolution that have at least two integrals of motion quadratic in the momenta, in addition to the Hamiltonian. These are two-dimensional spaces of nonconstant curvature. It turns out that all of these potentials are equivalent to superintegrable potentials in complex Euclidean 2-space or on the complex 2-sphere, via “coupling constant metamorphosis” (or equivalently, via Stackel multiplier transformations). We present a table of the results.

Superintegrability in a two-dimensional space of nonconstant curvature

A Hamiltonian with two degrees of freedom is said to be superintegrable if it admits three functionally independent integrals of the motion. This property has been extensively studied in the case of two-dimensional spaces of constant (possibly zero) curvature when all the independent integrals are either quadratic or linear in the canonical momenta. In this article the first steps are taken to solve the problem of superintegrability of this type on an arbitrary curved manifold in two dimensions. This is done by examining in detail one of the spaces of revolution found by G. Koenigs. We determine that there are essentially three distinct potentials which when added to the free Hamiltonian of this space have this type of superintegrability. Separation of variables for the associated Hamilton–Jacobi and Schrodinger equations is discussed. The classical and quantum quadratic algebras associated with each of these potentials are determined.

Second-order superintegrable systems in conformally flat spaces. I. Two-dimensional classical structure theory

This paper is part of a series that lays the groundwork for a structure and classification theory of second-order superintegrable systems, both classical and quantum, in real or complex conformally flat spaces. Here we consider classical superintegrable systems with nondegenerate potentials in three dimensions. We show that there exists a standard structure for such systems, based on the algebra of 3×3 symmetric matrices, and that the quadratic algebra always closes at order 6. We show that the spaces of truly second-, third-, fourth-, and sixth-order constants of the motion are of dimension 6, 4, 21, and 56, respectively, and we construct explicit bases for the fourth- and sixth order constants in terms of products of the second order constants.

Second order superintegrable systems in conformally flat spaces. IV. The classical 3D Stäckel transform and 3D classification theory

This article is one of a series that lays the groundwork for a structure and classification theory of second order superintegrable systems, both classical and quantum, in conformally flat spaces. In the first part of the article we study the Stackel transform (or coupling constant metamorphosis) as an invertible mapping between classical superintegrable systems on different three-dimensional spaces. We show first that all superintegrable systems with nondegenerate potentials are multiseparable and then that each such system on any conformally flat space is Stackel equivalent to a system on a constant curvature space. In the second part of the article we classify all the superintegrable systems that admit separation in generic coordinates. We find that there are eight families of these systems.

Second order superintegrable systems in conformally flat spaces. II. The classical two-dimensional Stäckel transform

This paper is one of a series that lays the groundwork for a structure and classification theory of second order superintegrable systems, both classical and quantum, in conformally flat spaces. Here we study the Stackel transform (or coupling constant metamorphosis) as an invertible mapping between classical superintegrable systems on different spaces. Through the use of this tool we derive and classify for the first time all two-dimensional (2D) superintegrable systems. The underlying spaces are exactly those derived by Koenigs in his remarkable paper giving all 2D manifolds (with zero potential) that admit at least three second order symmetries. Our derivation is very simple and quite distinct. We also show that every superintegrable system is the Stackel transform of a superintegrable system on a constant curvature space.

Second-order superintegrable systems in conformally flat spaces. V. Two- and three-dimensional quantum systems

This paper is the conclusion of a series that lays the groundwork for a structure and classification theory of second-order superintegrable systems, both classical and quantum, in conformally flat spaces. For two-dimensional and for conformally flat three-dimensional spaces with nondegenerate potentials we have worked out the structure of the classical systems and shown that the quadratic algebra always closes at order 6. Here we describe the quantum analogs of these results. We show that, for nondegenerate potentials, each classical system has a unique quantum extension. We also correct an error in an earlier paper in the series (that does not alter the structure results) and we elucidate the distinction between superintegrable systems with bases of functionally linearly independent and functionally linearly dependent symmetries.

Superintegrability and higher order integrals for quantum systems

We refine a method for finding a canonical form of symmetry operators of arbitrary order for the Schrodinger eigenvalue equation HΨ ≡ (Δ2 + V)Ψ = EΨ on any 2D Riemannian manifold, real or complex, that admits a separation of variables in some orthogonal coordinate system. The flat space equations with potentials V = α(x + iy)k − 1/(x − iy)k + 1 in Cartesian coordinates, and V = αr2 + β/r2cos 2kθ + γ/r2sin 2kθ (the Tremblay, Turbiner and Winternitz system) in polar coordinates, have each been shown to be classically superintegrable for all rational numbers k. We apply the canonical operator method to give a constructive proof that each of these systems is also quantum superintegrable for all rational k. We develop the classical analog of the quantum canonical form for a symmetry. It is clear that our methods will generalize to other Hamiltonian systems.

Families of classical subgroup separable superintegrable systems

We describe a method for determining a complete set of integrals for a classical Hamiltonian that separates in orthogonal subgroup coordinates. As examples, we use it to determine complete sets of integrals, polynomial in the momenta, for some families of generalized oscillator and Kepler-Coulomb systems, hence demonstrating their superintegrability. The latter generalizes recent results of Verrier and Evans, and Rodriguez, Tempesta and Winternitz. Another example is given of a superintegrable system on a non-conformally flat space.

Debye potentials for Maxwell and Dirac fields from a generalization of the Killing–Yano equation

By using conformal Killing–Yano tensors, and their generalizations, we obtain scalar potentials for both the source-free Maxwell and massless Dirac equations. For each of these equations we construct, from conformal Killing–Yano tensors, symmetry operators that map any solution to another.