Discretizing constant curvature surfaces via loop group factorizations: The discrete sine- and sinh-Gordon equations

Abstract

The sine- and sinh-Gordon equations are the harmonic map equations for maps of the (Lorentz) plane into the 2-sphere. Geometrically they correspond to the integrability equations for surfaces of constant Gauss and constant mean curvature. There is a well-known dressing action of a loop group on the space of harmonic maps. By discretizing the vacuum solutions we obtain via the dressing action completely integrable discretizations (in both variables) of the sine- and sinh-Gordon equations. For the sine-Gordon equation we get Hirota's discretization. Since we work in a geometric context we also obtain discrete models for harmonic maps into the 2-sphere and discrete models of constant Gauss and mean curvature surfaces.