Automorphisms and derivations of free Poisson algebras in two variables (Q2654068)

Let \(L\) be the free Lie algebra freely generated over a field \(k\) by a set of generators \(X\). The free Poisson algebra \(k\{X\}\) is the symmetric algebra of \(L\) with Poisson bracket extending the Lie bracket of \(L\). Although free Poisson algebras are closely connected with polynomial, free associative and free Lie algebras, many well known results in the polynomial, associative and Lie cases are not known in the Poisson case. In the paper under review the authors study locally nilpotent derivations and automorphisms of the free Poisson algebra \(P=k\{x_1,x_2\}\) over a field \(k\) of characteristic 0. The first main result is that the locally nilpotent derivations of \(P\) are triangulable: If \(D\) is a locally nilpotent derivation of \(P\), then there exists a tame automorphism \(\varphi\) of \(P\) such that \(\varphi^{-1}D\varphi(x_1)=f(x_2)\), \(\varphi^{-1}D\varphi(x_2)=0\) for some \(f(x_2)\in P\). This is an analogue of the classical theorem of \textit{R. Rentschler} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. A 267, 384--387 (1968; Zbl 0165.05402)] about locally nilpotent derivations of the polynomial algebra \(k[x_1,x_2]\). As a consequence the authors obtain the following main result, namely that the automorphisms of \(P\) are tame. Now this is an analogue of the Jung -- van der Kulk theorem for the tameness of automorphisms of the polynomial algebra \(k[x_1,x_2]\) [\textit{H.W.E. Jung}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 184, 161--174 (1942; Zbl 0027.08503)], [\textit{W. van der Kulk}, Nieuw Arch. Wiskd., III. Ser. 1, 33--41 (1953; Zbl 0050.26002)] and the similar result for the free algebra \(k\langle x_1,x_2\rangle\) by one of the authors, \textit{L. G. Makar-Limanov}, [Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 4, No. 3, 107--108 (1970; Zbl 0218.13006] and [\textit{A. J. Czerniakiewicz}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 160, 393--401 (1971; Zbl 0227.16001), 171, 309--315 (1972; Zbl 0258.16001)]. As applications the authors show that the Poisson bracket \(\{x_1,x_2\}\) is in the kernel of every locally nilpotent derivation of \(P\), the automorphisms preserve \(\{x_1,x_2\}\) up to a multiplicative constant and the automorphism groups of \(k\{x_1,x_2\}, k[x_1,x_2]\) and \(k\langle x_1,x_2\rangle\) are canonically isomorphic.