On the spectral parameter problem (Q966472)

The problem of whether a nonparametric zero-curvature representation can be embedded into a one-parameter family is considered. The former is defined (in the case of two variables) to be a system that can be represented as the compatibility condition \(A_y - B_x + [A,B] = 0\) for the auxiliary linear system given by the equations \(\Psi_x = A\Psi\) and \(\Psi_y = B \Psi\). Integrable systems are generally characterized by the property that the system admits a \(1\)-parameter deformation, that is, the equations hold for a \(1\)-parameter family of matrices \(A(\lambda)\), \(B(\lambda)\). In this article, the author presents a general non-existence criterion for the spectral parameter problem within a given Lie algebra, a given jet order, and a given order of expansion. An extending procedure is then considered, as an attempt to find a way to insert the spectral parameter for the situation that is not ruled out by the non-existence criterion.