The degenerate C. Neumann system I: symmetry reduction and convexity
The C. Neumann system describes a particle on the sphere S n under the influence of a potential that is a quadratic form. We study the case that the quadratic form has ℓ +1 distinct eigenvalues with multiplicity. Each group of m σ equal eigenvalues gives rise to an O(m σ)-symmetry in configuration space. The combined symmetry group G is a direct product of ℓ + 1 such factors, and its cotangent lift has an Ad*-equivariant momentum mapping. Regular reduction leads to the Rosochatius system on S ℓ,...