Retraction maps: a seed of geometric integrators (Q6047303): Difference between revisions

The authors propose a generalization of the classical concept of retraction map. Retraction maps provide a means to select a smooth curve on a differentiable manifold given an initial position and velocity; a curve like this is an approximation of the Riemannian exponential map. The classical version of retraction map can be used in many ways, including approximating geodesics on a Riemannian manifold. More background and additional references for retraction maps are provided in [\textit{P.-A. Absil} et al., in Optimization algorithms on matrix manifolds. Princeton Unversity Press, Princeton NJ (2008; Zbl 1147.65043)]. In this paper the original idea is extended to construct geometric integrators that can take the form of a discretization map. Lifts of such discretization maps to the tangent and cotangent bundles turn out to inherit the properties of the original map, and therefore continue to be discretization maps. It turns out that the cotangent lift of a discretization map is also a natural symplectomorphism. This is particularly useful for creating geometric integrators for systems defined by either Hamiltonian or Lagrangian functions. The authors show how well-known geometric methods can be derived in their general framework. Furthermore, they believe that their work can enable other geometric integrators, even higher order ones, that might be applied to more complex mechanical systems.