Quantum Mechanics for Mathematicians

(lily) #1

or (
0 αδ−βγ
−αδ+βγ 0


)

=

(

0 1

−1 0

)

so


det

(

α β
γ δ

)

=αδ−βγ= 1

This says that we can have any linear transformation with unit determinant.
In other words, we find thatSp(2,R) =SL(2,R). This isomorphism with a
special linear group occurs only ford= 1.
Now turning to the Lie algebra, for group elementsg∈GL(2,R) near the
identity,gcan be written in the formg=etLwhereLis in the Lie algebra
gl(2,R). The condition thatgacts onMpreserving Ω implies that (differenti-
ating 16.4)


d
dt

(

(etL)T

(

0 1

−1 0

)

etL

)

= (etL)T

(

LT

(

0 1

−1 0

)

+

(

0 1

−1 0

)

L

)

etL= 0

Settingt= 0, the condition onLis


LT

(

0 1

−1 0

)

+

(

0 1

−1 0

)

L= 0 (16.5)

This requires thatLmust be of the form


L=

(

a b
c −a

)

(16.6)

which is what one expects:Lis in the Lie algebrasl(2,R) of 2 by 2 real matrices
with zero trace.
The homogeneous degree two polynomials inpandqform a three dimen-
sional sub-Lie algebra of the Lie algebra of functions on phase space, since the
non-zero Poisson bracket relations on a basisq


2
2 ,

p^2
2 ,qpare

{

q^2
2

,

p^2
2

}=qp {qp,p^2 }= 2p^2 {qp,q^2 }=− 2 q^2

We have

Theorem 16.1. The Lie algebra of degree two homogeneous polynomials on
M=R^2 is isomorphic to the Lie algebrasp(2,R) =sl(2,R), with the isomor-
phism given explicitly by


−aqp+

bq^2
2


cp^2
2

=

1

2

(

q p

)

L

(

0 − 1

1 0

)(

q
p

)

↔L=

(

a b
c −a

)

(16.7)

Proof.One can identify basis elements as follows:


q^2
2

↔E=

(

0 1

0 0

)


p^2
2

↔F=

(

0 0

1 0

)

−qp↔G=

(

1 0

0 − 1

)

(16.8)
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