Hamilton spaces of order \(k\geq 1\) (Q5928548)

The author considers the fibered bundle \(T^{k-1}M\times_MT^\star M\) over a differentiable manifold \(M\) as a suitable ``dual'' for the \(k\)-acceleration bundle \((T^kM,\pi^k,M)\). This bundle admits a canonical presymplectic structure and \(k\) canonical Poisson structures; hence it can be endowed with the novel structure of a ``higher order Hamiltonian space'', viewed as a pair \(H^{(k)n}=(M,H)\), where \(H:T^{k-1}M\times_M T^\star M\rightarrow\mathbb R\) is a regular Hamiltonian depending on the point \(x\in M\), the accelerations \(y^{(1)},\dots,y^{(k-1)}\) (of orders \(1,\dots,k-1\) respectively), and the momenta \(p\in T^\star M\). Some remarkable Hamiltonian systems are pointed out, and it is shown that there exists a Legendre mapping from the Lagrange spaces of order \(k\) to the Hamilton spaces of order \(k\).