Löwner equations and reductions of dispersionless hierarchies (Q2662739)

The Löwner-type equations can be derived in two very different contexts: conformal maps of domains with slits and dispersionless limits of two-dimensional integrable systems. The aim of this paper is to review reductions of the dispersionless hierarchies such as dKP, dToda as well as of the B- and D-versions of the dKP hierarchy (dBKP and dDKP) within the framework of Hirota's approach and to elucidate their deep relation with different types of the Löwner equation, such as chordal, radial, quadrant and elliptic. After recalling the derivation of Löwner equations based on complex analysis the authors review one and multi-variable reductions of dispersionless integrable hierarchies (dKP, dBKP, dToda, and dDKP). The one-variable reductions are described by solutions of different versions of Löwner equation: chordal (rational) for dKP, quadrant for dBKP, radial (trigonometric) for dToda and elliptic for DKP. The authors also discuss multi-variable reductions which are given by a system of Löwner equations supplemented by a system of partial differential equations of hydrodynamic type. The solvability of the hydrodynamic type system can be proved by means of the generalized hodograph method.