Symplectic and Hamiltonian Structures of Nonlinear Evolution Equations

Abstract

A Hamiltonian structure on a finite-dimensional manifold can be introduced either by endowing it with a (pre)symplectic structure, or by describing the Poisson bracket with the help of a tensor with two upper indices named the Poisson structure. Under the assumption of nondegeneracy, the Poisson structure is nothing else than the inverse of the symplectic structure. Also in the degenerate case the distinction between the two approaches is almost insignificant, because both presymplectic and Poisson structures split into symplectic structures on leaves of appropriately chosen foliations. Hamiltonian structures that arise in the theory of evolution equations demonstrate something new in this respect: trying to operate in local terms, one is induced to develop both approaches independently. Hamiltonian operators, being the infinite-dimensional counterparts of Poisson structures, were the first to become the subject of investigations1–4. A considerable period of time passed before the papers5,6 initiated research in the theory of symplectic operators, being the counterparts of presymplectic structures. In what follows, we focus on the main achievements in this field.