Note on free symmetric rigid body motion (Q500464)

The Euler equations of a left-invariant geodesic flow on \(\mathrm{SO}(n)\) are given by \[ \dot{M}=[M,\Omega],\quad \Omega=\mathcal{U}(M), \] where \(\Omega\in so(n)\) is the angular velocity, \(M\in so(n)\) is the angular momentum, and \(\mathcal{I} = \mathcal{U}^{-1}\) is the positive definite operator which defines a left-invariant metric. For a rigid body motion around a fixed point, the left-invariant metric is defined by the inertia operator \(\mathcal{I}\Omega = B\Omega+\Omega B\), where \(B = \mathrm{diag}(b_1,\ldots, b_n)\) is the mass tensor of a rigid body. In this paper the motion of a free symmetric rigid body around a fixed point with an \(\mathrm{SO}(n-r)\)-symmetry, that is \[ B = \mathrm{diag}(b_1, b_2,\ldots, b_r, b_{r+1},\ldots,b_{r+1}), \quad b_i\not= b_j, i\not= j, \] is considered. In the case of a \(\mathrm{SO}(n-2)\)-symmetry it is proved that almost all trajectories are periodic. The fact that the motion can be expressed in terms of elliptic functions is pointed out. In the case of \(\mathrm{SO}(n-3)\)-symmetry the solvability of the reconstruction problem by using Kozlov's version of the Euler-Jacobi-Lie theorem [\textit{V. V. Kozlov}, Regul. Chaotic Dyn. 18, No. 4, 329--343 (2013; Zbl 1283.34035)] is proved. Finally, a study of the properties of the spectral curve of the problem is presented.