Differential Algebras with Banach-Algebra Coefficients II: The Operator Cross-Ratio Tau-Function and the Schwarzian Derivative

Abstract

Several features of an analytic (infinite-dimensional) Grassmannian of (commensurable) subspaces of a Hilbert space were developed in the context of integrable PDEs (KP hierarchy). We extended some of those features when polarized separable Hilbert spaces are generalized to a class of polarized Hilbert modules and then consider the classical Baker and τ-functions as operator-valued. Following from Part I we produce a pre-determinant structure for a class of τ-functions defined in the setting of the similarity class of projections of a certain Banach *-algebra. This structure is explicitly derived from the transition map of a corresponding principal bundle. The determinant of this map leads to an operator τ-function. We extend to this setting the operator cross-ratio which had previously been used to produce the scalar-valued τ-function, as well as the associated notion of a Schwarzian derivative along curves inside the space of similarity classes of a given projection. We link directly this cross-ratio with Fay’s trisecant identity for the τ-function. By restriction to the image of the Krichever map, we use the Schwarzian to introduce the notion of an operator-valued projective structure on a compact Riemann surface: this allows a deformation inside the Grassmannian (as it varies its complex structure). Lastly, we use our identification of the Jacobian of the Riemann surface in terms of extensions of the Burchnall–Chaundy C*-algebra (Part I) provides a link to the study of the KP hierarchy.