On weakly commutative triples of partial differential operators

Abstract

We investigate algebraic properties of weakly commutative triples, appearing in the theory of integrable nonlinear partial differential equations. Algebraic technique of skew fields of formal pseudodifferential operators as well as skew Ore fields of fractions are applied to this problem, relating weakly commutative triples to commuting elements of skew Ore field of formal fractions of ordinary differential operators. A version of Burchnall-Chaundy theorem for weakly commutative triples is proved by algebraic means avoiding analytical complications typical for its proofs known in the theory of integrable equations.