THE EQUIVALENCE PROBLEM FOR ORTHOGONALLY SEPARABLE WEBS ON SPACES OF CONSTANT CURVATURE

Abstract

This thesis is devoted to creating a systematic way of determining all inequivalent orthogonal coordinate systems which separate the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for a given natural Hamiltonian defined on three-dimensional spaces of constant, non-zero curvature. To achieve this, we represent the problem with Killing tensors and employ the recently developed invariant theory of Killing tensors. Killing tensors on the model spaces of spherical and hyperbolic space enjoy a remarkably simple form; even more striking is the fact that their parameter tensors admit the same symmetries as the Riemann curvature tensor, and thus can be considered algebraic curvature tensors. Using this property to obtain invariants and covariants of Killing tensors, together with the web symmetries of the associated orthogonal coordinate webs, we establish an equivalence criterion for each space. In the case of three-dimensional spherical space, we demonstrate the surprising result that these webs can be distinguished purely by the symmetries of the web. In the case of three-dimensional hyperbolic space, we use a combination of web symmetries, invariants and covariants to achieve an equivalence criterion. To completely solve the equivalence problem in each case, we develop a method for determining the moving frame map for an arbitrary Killing tensor of the space. This is achieved by defining an algebraic Ricci tensor. Solutions to equivalence problems of Killing tensors are particularly useful in the areas of multiseparability and superintegrability. This is evidenced by our analysis of symmetric potentials defined on three-dimensional spherical and hyperbolic space. Using the most general Killing tensor of a symmetry subspace, we derive the most general potential “compatible” with this Killing tensor. As a further example, we introduce the notion of a joint invariant in the vector space of Killing tensors and use them to characterize a well-known superintegrable potential in the plane. xiii