Algebraic structure of Nambu mechanics

Abstracting from Nambu’s work [1] on the generalization of Hamiltonian mechanics, we obtain the concept of a classical Nambu algebra of type I (CNA-I). Consistency requirement of time evolution of the trilinear Nambu bracket leads to a new five point identity (FPI). Incorporating the FPI into CNA-I, we obtain a classical Nambu algebra of type II (CNA-II). Nambu’s algorithm for generalized classical mechanics turns out to be compatible with CNA-II. Tensor product composition of two CNA-I’s results in another CNA-I whereas that of two CNA-II’s does not. This implies that interacting systems cannot be consistently treated in Nambu’s framework. It is shown that the recent generalization of Nambu mechanics based on an arbitrary Lie group (instead of the particular case of the rotation group as in the case of Nambu’s original algorithm) suggested by Biyalinicki-Birula and Morrison [2], is compatible with CNA-I but not with CNA-II. Relaxation of the commutative and associative observable product by making it nonassociative so as to arrive at the quantum counterpart meets with serious difficulties from the view point of tensor product composition property. Thus neither CNA-I nor CNA-II have quantum counterparts. Implications of our results are discussed with special reference to existing work on Nambu mechanics in the literature.