Hamiltonian formulation of surfaces with constant Gaussian curvature

Abstract

Dirac's method for constrained Hamiltonian systems is used to describe surfaces of constant Gaussian curvature. A geometrical free energy, for which these surfaces are equilibrium states, is introduced and interpreted as an action. An equilibrium surface can then be generated by the evolution of a closed space curve. Since the underlying action depends on second derivatives, the velocity of the curve and its conjugate momentum must be included in the set of phase-space variables. Furthermore, the action is linear in the acceleration of the curve and possesses a local symmetry—reparametrization invariance—which implies primary constraints in the canonical formalism. These constraints are incorporated into the Hamiltonian through Lagrange multiplier functions that are identified as the components of the acceleration of the curve. The formulation leads to four first-order partial differential equations, one for each canonical variable. With the appropriate choice of parametrization, only one of these equations has to be solved to obtain the surface which is swept out by the evolving space curve. To illustrate the formalism, several evolutions of pseudospherical surfaces are discussed.