A generalized formula for integrable classes of surfaces in Lie algebras (Q4351646)

The article provides a clear exposition concerning immersions of surfaces into Lie algebras applied in soliton theory, with 48 references. In the outline, a surface immersed in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is characterized by fundamental forms satisfying certain nonlinear (Gauss-Mainardi-Codazzi-Ricci) equations (1); at the same time this \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is identified with the underlying space of a semisimple Lie algebra \({\mathcal G}\) equipped with the relevant scalar product. An important property of integrable equations (1) is the existence of a linear system (2) \(\Psi_{,k}= U_k\Psi\) (\(k= 1,2\); \(\Psi=\Psi(x^1,x^2)\); \((,k)=\partial/\partial x^k\)), where \(U_1\), \(U_2\) are matrices depending on dependent variables of the system (1) and a spectral parameter \(\lambda\); they assume values in \({\mathcal G}\). The equations (1) itself are expressed by the compatibility condition (3) \(U_{1,2}- U_{2,1}= [U_1, U_2]\), and the immersions are given by (4) \(F= \Psi^{-1}\Psi_{,\lambda}\). The author discovers a far-reaching generalization \(F= \gamma_0\Psi^{-1}\Psi_{,\lambda}+ \Psi^{-1} M\Psi\) (\(\mu_0\) a constant, \(M\) is an arbitrary matrix depending on \(x^1\), \(x^2\), \(\lambda\)) of (4), improving thus \textit{A. S. Fokas} and \textit{I. M. Gelfand} [Commun. Math. Phys. 117, 203-220 (1996; Zbl 0864.53003)]. He states a wide spectrum of applications: the sine-Gordon equation, pseudospherical surfaces, Tchebycheff and orthogonal coordinates on the sphere, parallel surfaces, Darboux-Bianchi transformations, linear Weingarten surfaces parallel to a given pseudospherical surface, etc.