Integrable systems in the realm of algebraic geometry. (Q5942990)

For a review of the first ed. (1996) see Zbl 0867.58039. At present one can observe the revival of interest in integrable systems motivated by a discovery of integrable nonlinear evolution equations of soliton type with numerous applications in modern physics. New deep understanding of the integrability includes now results of Lie theory, representation theory, differential and algebraic geometry. The constructions that constitute the integrable systems are algebraic: the phase space has the structure of an affine algebraic variety, the Poisson brackets are regular functions, the integrals are polynomials. For such a kind of integrable systems the algebraic-geometric tools are of prime importance in studying and solving them. This book presents in a coherent way a theory of algebraic completely integrable systems of classical mechanics in the language of algebraic geometry, giving an exposition of the main ideas, and the history of their development. The author introduces the important notion of the algebra of integrals, i.e., a set of regular functions in involution having maximal dimension and being complete. Then an integrable Hamiltonian system is defined as an affine Poisson variety with a maximal algebra of Casimirs and a complete algebra of integrals. In the special case when the equation \(F(x,y) = 0\) defines a hyperelliptic curve, the vector fields of the integrable system may be presented in a Lax form. The Painlevé analysis is used as a tool to determine the nature of the general level sets and to embed the completed level sets explicitly in a projective space. The present edition of this book, five years after the first edition, has been spiced with several recent results which fit naturally in the point of view that had been adapted in the original text and with some new examples and constructions that will help the reader to appreciate better our approach to integrable systems.