On integrability of the Killing equation

Abstract: Killing tensor fields have been thought of as describing hidden symmetry of space(-time) since they are in one-to-one correspondence with polynomial first integrals of geodesic equations. Many problems in classical mechanics can be formulated as geodesic problems in curved spaces and spacetimes, and thus solving the defining equation for Killing tensor fields (the Killing equation) is a powerful way to integrate the equations of motion. In this paper we attempt to formulate the integrability conditions of the Killing equation, which serve to put an upper bound on the number of linearly independent solutions and also to restrict the possible forms of solutions tightly. To this end, we first show the prologation for the Killing equation in a manner that uses Young symmetrizers. Then, using the prolonged equations, we provide the integrability conditions explicitly.