Invariant Reduction for Partial Differential Equations. III: Poisson brackets

Abstract

We show that, under suitable conditions, finite-dimensional systems describing invariant solutions of partial differential equations (PDEs) inherit local Hamiltonian operators through the mechanism of invariant reduction, which applies uniformly to point, contact, and higher symmetries. The inherited operators endow the reduced systems with Poisson bivectors that relate constants of motion to symmetries. Applying the same mechanism to invariant conservation laws, we further show that the induced Poisson brackets agree with those of the original systems, up to sign. This is illustrated by two examples in which the inherited Poisson brackets and inherited constants of motion yield integrability of the reduced systems.