Quantum and classical integrable systems

Abstract

The key concept discussed in these lectures is the relation between the Hamiltonians of a quantum integrable system and the Casimir elements in the underlying hidden symmetry algebra. (In typical applications the latter is either the universal enveloping algebra of an affine Lie algebra, or its q-deformation.) A similar relation also holds in the classical case. We discuss different guises of this very important relation and its implication for the description of the spectrum and the eigenfunctions of the quantum system. Parallels between the classical and the quantum cases are thoroughly discussed.