Coupled KdV equations with multi-Hamiltonian structures (Q1099337)

We present a large class of systems of N-equations which possess \((N+1)\) purely differential, compatible Hamiltonaian structures. Our generic equations are isospectral to \[ [(\sum^{N-1}_{0}\epsilon_ i\lambda^{2i})\partial^ 2+\sum^{N-1}_{0}v_ i\lambda^{2i}]\psi =\lambda^{2N} \psi, \] but our class also includes degenerate, nondispersive systems which are unrelated to this linear problem. Embedded in this class, for each N, there are n distinct coupled KdV systems. When \(N=2\) our class includes 3 known equations: dispersive water waves, Itô's equation and reduced Benney's equations. These equations are thus tri-Hamiltonian. We also present 2 examples of 3- component quadri-Hamiltonian systems, which generalize the above mentioned dispersive and nondispersive water waves.