[Math] In the 2-torus with symplectic form $\omega=d\theta\wedge d\varphi$, is the vector field $X=\partial_\theta$ Hamiltonian

differential-geometrysymplectic-geometryVector Fields

Consider the 2-torus $T=S^1\times S^1$ with symplectic form $\omega=d\theta\wedge d\varphi$ and the vector field $X=\partial_\theta$. I wonder if $X$ is hamiltonian. In other words, is $\iota_X\omega$ exact on $T$?

By definition, we locally get $$ \iota_X\omega=\omega(X,-)=\omega(\partial_\theta,-)=d\varphi $$

How to show that this local relation fails globally on $T$? (and that $\iota_X\omega$ is not globally exact?)

Best Answer

Remark: $\theta$ and $\varphi$ are regarded as the angle coordinates of $S^1 \subset \mathbb C$.

First we should recall that the 1-form $d\varphi$ is not the exterior derivative of $\varphi$ on $X$. Namely $\varphi$ is not defined on the whole space $T$. But it is defined on arbitrary simply connected open subset on $T$ (after choosing a branch).

For any exact 1-form $df$ (on $T$) and any closed curve $\gamma:[0,1] \to T$, we always have $$\int_{[0,1]} \gamma^*df = \int_{[0,1]} d(f \circ \gamma) = f(\gamma(1))-f(\gamma(0)) = 0.$$

On the other hand, considering the closed curve $\gamma(t):=(0,e^{2\pi t})$, we have $$\int_{[0,1]} \gamma^* d\varphi = \int_0^1 2\pi dt = 2\pi.$$ Therefore $d\varphi$ is not exact.