On the nesting of Painlevé hierarchies: A Hamiltonian approach

We consider the phenomenon whereby two different Painlevé hierarchies, related to the same hierarchy of completely integrable equations, are such that solutions of one member of one of the Painlevé hierarchies are also solutions of a higher-order member of the other Painlevé hierarchy. An explanation is given in terms of the Hamiltonian structures of the related underlying completely integrable hierarchies, and is sufficiently generally formulated so as to be applicable equally to both continuous and discrete Painlevé hierarchies. Special integrals of a further Painlevé hierarchy related by Bäcklund transformation to the other Painlevé hierarchy mentioned above can also be constructed. Examples of the application of this approach to Painlevé hierarchies related to the Korteweg–de Vries, dispersive water wave, Toda and Volterra integrable hierarchies are considered. Our results provide further evidence of the importance of the underlying structures of related completely integrable hierarchies in understanding the properties of Painlevé hierarchies.

► Explanation of nesting of Painlevé hierarchies in terms of Hamiltonian structures. ► Approach generally phrased and applicable to continuous and discrete systems. ► Importance of related integrable hierarchies in understanding Painlevé hierarchies.