A variational perspective on continuum limits of ABS and lattice GD equations (Q2330814)

A pluri-Lagrangian structure is an attribute of integrability for lattice equations and for hierarchies of differential equations. It combines the notion of multi-dimensional consistency in the discrete case or commutativity of the flows in the continuous case with a variational principle. The aim of this paper is to continue the work started in [\textit{M. Vermeeren}, J. Integrable Sys. 4, No. 1, Article ID xyy020, 34 p. (2019; Zbl 1472.37068)], where the author established a continuum limit procedure for lattice equations with a pluri-Lagrangian (also called Lagrangian multiform) structure. The author developed a continuum limit procedure for pluri-Lagrangian systems, which he now applies to most of the ABS list and some members of the lattice Gelfand-Dickey hierarchy. He obtains pluri-Lagrangian structures for many hierarchies of integrable PDEs for which such structures where previously unknown. This includes the Krichever-Novikov hierarchy, the double hierarchy of sine-Gordon and modified KdV equations, and a first example of a continuous multi-component pluri-Lagrangian system. This paper is organized as follows: the first section is an introduction to the subject. The author starts by giving a short introduction to discrete and continuous pluri-Lagrangian systems. Section 2 deals with the continuum limit procedure from the above reference. In Sections 3 and 4 the author presents examples from the ABS list [\textit{V. E. Adler} et al., Commun. Math. Phys. 233, No. 3, 513--543 (2003; Zbl 1075.37022)]. In Section 5 he extends one of these examples, ABS equation H3, to produce the doubly infinite hierarchy containing the sine-Gordon and modified KdV equations. In Section 6 he comments on a common feature of all of the continuum limits of ABS equations, namely that half of the continuous independent variables can be disregarded. In Section 7 he studies two examples from the Gelfand-Dickey hierarchy.