Paper 1, Section II, D

Integrable Systems
Part II, 2016

What does it mean for an evolution equation ut=K(x,u,ux,)u_{t}=K\left(x, u, u_{x}, \ldots\right) to be in Hamiltonian form? Define the associated Poisson bracket.

An evolution equation ut=K(x,u,ux,)u_{t}=K\left(x, u, u_{x}, \ldots\right) is said to be bi-Hamiltonian if it can be written in Hamiltonian form in two distinct ways, i.e.

K=JδH0=EδH1K=\mathcal{J} \delta H_{0}=\mathcal{E} \delta H_{1}

for Hamiltonian operators J,E\mathcal{J}, \mathcal{E} and functionals H0,H1H_{0}, H_{1}. By considering the sequence {Hm}m0\left\{H_{m}\right\}_{m \geqslant 0} defined by the recurrence relation

EδHm+1=JδHm\mathcal{E} \delta H_{m+1}=\mathcal{J} \delta H_{m}

show that bi-Hamiltonian systems possess infinitely many first integrals in involution. [You may assume that ()(*) can always be solved for Hm+1H_{m+1}, given HmH_{m}.]

The Harry Dym equation for the function u=u(x,t)u=u(x, t) is

ut=3x3(u1/2)u_{t}=\frac{\partial^{3}}{\partial x^{3}}\left(u^{-1 / 2}\right)

This equation can be written in Hamiltonian form ut=EδH1u_{t}=\mathcal{E} \delta H_{1} with

E=2ux+ux,H1[u]=18u5/2ux2 dx\mathcal{E}=2 u \frac{\partial}{\partial x}+u_{x}, \quad H_{1}[u]=\frac{1}{8} \int u^{-5 / 2} u_{x}^{2} \mathrm{~d} x

Show that the Harry Dym equation possesses infinitely many first integrals in involution. [You need not verify the Jacobi identity if your argument involves a Hamiltonian operator.]