Sato's universal Grassmannian and group extensions (Q1177126)

The author constructs an extension \(\widehat{\text{GL}}\) of the symmetry group GL of a universal Grassmannian GL. This is a modification of the original Sato Grassmannian. The Hilbert space \(H\) considered splits into a pair of closed infinite dimensional subspaces \(H=H_ +\oplus H_ -\), having orthonormal basis \(\{e_ n\}\), \(n\in\mathbb{Z}\) such that \(e_ n\in H_ +\) for \(n>0\) and \(e_ n\in H_ -\) for \(n\leq 0\). The construction of central extension \(\widehat{\text{GL}}\) is more complicated, as the cocycle defining the central extension cannot be extended beyond the restricted subgroup \(\text{GL}_{res}\). The author considers extensions by certain commutative ideals. The extension plays a similar role to that of the central extension \(\text{GL}_{res}\), in the approach of Segal and Wilson to \(\tau\) functions and KP hierarchy. This group contains \(\text{GL}_{res}\) as a subgroup and the associated \(\tau\) function is a deformation of the usual \(\tau\) function, leading to a deformed KP hierarchy. The important subgroup \({\text{GL}_ 2}\), between \(\text{GL}_{res}\) and GL, appears in gauge field theory in \(3+1\) dimensions.