Gradient-like and integrable vector fields on \({\mathbb{R}}^ 2\) (Q1058212)

Let M be a smooth manifold and \(X: M\to TM\) be a nonsingular vector field. X is said to be Riemannian pregeodesible, if there exists a Riemannian metric g for M such that the integral curves of X, possibly after a change of parametrization, are unit speed geodesics for (M,g). X is said to be pre-Hamiltonian on \(M={\mathbb{R}}^ 2\), if there exist functions \(\alpha\) : \({\mathbb{R}}^ 2\to (0,+\infty)\) and \(H: {\mathbb{R}}^ 2\to {\mathbb{R}}\) such that \(dH_ p\) is nonsingular for all \(p\in {\mathbb{R}}^ 2\) and \(\alpha H=(\partial H/\partial y)(\partial /\partial x)-(\partial H/\partial x)(\partial /\partial y).\) It is shown that for smoothly contractible subsets of \({\mathbb{R}}^ 2\) null geodesibility of X is equivalent to X being pre-Hamiltonian, and Lorentzian timelike, spacelike or Riemannian pregeodesibility of X are all equivalent to X being gradient-like.