Quantization of the Gel'fand-Dikiĭ brackets (Q916174)

The author starts with the following explanation: Let \(L\), \(P\) be the linear differential operators: \[ L=\partial^n_x+\sum^n_{k=1} W_k(x,t)\partial_x^{n-k}. \] We can consider Lax relation \(\partial L/\partial t=[L,P]\) as a system of partial differential equations with respect to unknown functions \(W_k(x,t)\). Gel'fand and Dikiĭ constructed in the space of functionals over \(W_k(x,t)\) two symplectic structures such that this system of equations becomes Hamiltonian. The Gel'fand-Dikiĭ brackets are related to the Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{gl}(n)\) and maybe reduced to the simple Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{sl}(n)\). The author and \textit{V. A. Fateev} proposed its quantization [Sov. Phys. 67, 447--454 (1980); translation from Zh. Èksp. Teor. Fiz. 94, 23--37 (1988)]. For \(n=2\) the \(W_n\) algebra turns out to be the Virasoro algebra, and in general case it is a generalization of the Poisson bracket structure. The following theorems are proved: For a system \(\{\omega_i(z)\}_{i=2,\ldots,n}\) with simple Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{sl}(n)\) there is a closed \(w_n\) operator algebra whose structure is analogous to Gel'fand-Dikiĭ algebra. Virasoro algebra and results of Khovanova (as \(h\to 0\)) are special cases of the Gel'fand-Dikiĭ construction.