Grassmann structures and integrable systems (Q5955635)

A Grassmann structure of type \((p,q)\) on a complex manifold \(M\) of complex dimension \(n=pq\) \((p,q\geq 2)\) is an isomorphism \(\alpha : TM \rightarrow U\otimes V\) between the tangent bundle of \(M\) and the tensor product of a complex vector bundle \(U\) of rank \(p\) with a complex vector bundle \(V\) of rank \(q\). The isomorphism \(\alpha\) induces an isomorphism \(\gamma: {\Lambda}^pU\rightarrow {\Lambda}^qV\) between the highest exterior powers of these bundles. A scale for a Grassmann structure is a non-vanishing section \(\varepsilon^U\) of the bundle \({\Lambda}^pU\). The isomorphism \(\gamma\) implies the existence of a non-vanishing section \(\varepsilon^V\) of the bundle \({\Lambda}^qV\). Then there exists a unique connection \(\nabla\) on \(TM\) induced by unique connections \({\nabla}^U\) and \({\nabla}^V\) on \(U\) and \(V\), respectively, such that the torsions are trace-free and \({\nabla}^U\varepsilon^U=0\) and \({\nabla}^V{\varepsilon}^V=0\). The space of \(2\)-forms on \(M\) is decomposed into \({\Lambda}^2T^*M \cong ({\Lambda}^2U^*\otimes S^2V^*) \oplus (S^2U^*\otimes {\Lambda}^2V^*)\), where \(\Lambda\) and \(S\) denote skew-symmetric and symmetric powers of bundles. Viewing the torsion \(T\) as a \(TM\)-valued \(2\)-form on \(M\), it also decomposes into \(T=T^+\oplus T^-\), where \(T^+\in TM\otimes ({\Lambda}^2U^*\otimes S^2V^*)\) and \(T^-\in TM\otimes (S^2U^*\otimes {\Lambda}^2V^*)\). The trace-free parts of these parts of the torsion are independent of connections chosen on \(U\) and \(V\). A Grassmann structure of type \((p,q)\) is said to be right-flat if \(T^+=0, p > 2.\) If \(p=2\), right-flatness means that the positive part \(W^+\) of the Weyl part \(W\) of the curvature tensor \(R\) vanishes. In the case \(p=q=2,\) \(W^+\) can be identified with the self-dual part of the Weyl tensor of the conformal structure. In this paper, the author constructs the twistor space associated to a right-flat Grassmann structure of type \((p,q)\) that is a complex manifold \(Z\) of dimension \((p_1)(q-1)\). Let \(\{{\varepsilon}^{ai}; a=1,\dots,p,i=1,\dots,q\}\) be a local basis of fields for \(T^*M\). Let \(\Lambda\) be the distribution on the total space of the bundle \(V\) generated by the forms \(\sigma^a={\varepsilon}^{ai}{\lambda}_i\) and \(\sigma^i=d{\lambda}_i-A^i\), where \(\lambda_i\) are sections of \(V\) and \(A^i\) are components of the connection on \(V\). Treating the sections \(\lambda_i\) as homogeneous coordinates on the projective space \(P^{q-1}\cong P(V)_x\), for \(x\in M\), the distribution \(\Lambda\) may be defined on \(T^* P(V)\). Moreover, the distribution \(T\) of dimension \(p\) annihilated by \(\Lambda\) is defined on \(T P(V)\). It is spanned by the vector fields \(v_a\) of the forms \(v_a=D_1+{\lambda}^2D_2+\dots +{\lambda}^qD_q\) \((a=1,\dots,p)\). It turns out that the distribution \(T\) is completely integrable if and only if the Grassmann structure on \(M\) is right-flat. Then the twistor space \(Z\) is the quotient \(P(V)/T\). The manifold \(Z\) becomes a complex manifold with a natural projection \(p\;: Z\rightarrow M\). The complete integrability of the distribution \(T\) implies that there exist functions \(C_{ab}^c\) such that \([v_a,v_b]=\sum_{c=1}^p C_{ab}^cv_c\) \((a,b=1,\dots,p)\). The \(p\) vector fields \(v_a\) correspond to differential operators depending on \(q-1\) spectral parameters. These equations define a system formulated in Lax form with a Lax \(p\)-tuple of linear differential operators, as opposed to the usual Lax pair formulation of integrable systems.