Hamiltonian field theory close to the wave equation: from Fermi-Pasta-Ulam to water waves

Abstract

In the present work we analyse the structure of the Hamiltonian field theory in the neighbourhood of the wave equation $q_{tt}=q_{xx}$. We show that, restricting to ``graded'' polynomial perturbations in $q_x$, $p$ and their space derivatives of higher order, the local field theory is equivalent, in the sense of the Hamiltonian normal form, to that of the Korteweg-de Vries hierarchy of second order. Within this framework, we explain the connection between the theory of water waves and the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam system.