Torsion-free connections of second-order maximally superintegrable systems

Abstract

Second-order (maximally) conformally superintegrable systems play an important role as models of mechanical systems, including systems such as the Kepler-Coulomb system and the isotropic harmonic oscillator. The present paper is dedicated to understanding non- and semi-degenerate systems. We obtain "projective flatness" results for two torsion-free connections naturally associated to such systems. This viewpoint sheds some light onto the interrelationship of properly and conformally (second-order maximally) superintegrable systems from a geometrical perspective. It is shown that the semi-degenerate secondary structure tensor can be viewed as the Ricci curvature of a natural torsion-free connection defined by the primary structure tensor (and similarly in the non-degenerate case). It is also shown that properly semi-degenerate systems are characterised, similar to the non-degenerate case, by the vanishing of the secondary structure tensor.