Integrable geodesic flows on homogeneous spaces

A method is exposed which allows the construction of families of first integrals in involution for Hamiltonian systems which are invariant under the Hamiltonian action of a Lie group G. This is applied to invariant Hamiltonian systems on the tangent bundles of certain homogeneous spaces M = G/K. It is proved, for example, that every such invariant Hamiltonian system is completely integrable if M is a real or complex Grassmannian manifold or SU(n + 1)/SO(n + 1) or a distance sphere in ℂPn+1. In particular, the geodesic flows of these homogeneous spaces are integrable.