A Geometric Setting for Hamiltonian Perturbation Theory

Book excerpt: In this text, the perturbation theory of non-commutatively integrable systems is revisited from the point of view of non-Abelian symmetry groups. Using a co-ordinate system intrinsic to the geometry of the symmetry, the book generalizes and geometrizes well-known estimates of Nekhoroshev (1977), in a class of systems having almost $G$-invariant Hamiltonians. These estimates are shown to have a natural interpretation in terms of momentum maps and co-adjoint orbits. The geometric framework adopted is described explicitly in examples, including the Euler-Poinsot rigid body.