mKdV-Related Flows for Legendrian Curves in the Pseudohermitian 3-Sphere

Abstract

We investigate geometric evolution equations for Legendrian curves in the 3-sphere which are invariant under the action of the unitary group ${\rm U}(2)$. We define a natural symplectic structure on the space of Legendrian loops and show that the modified Korteweg-de Vries equation, along with its associated hierarchy, are realized as curvature evolutions induced by a sequence of Hamiltonian flows. For the flow among these that induces the mKdV equation, we investigate the geometry of solutions which evolve by rigid motions in ${\rm U}(2)$. Generalizations of our results to higher-order evolutions and curves in similar geometries are also discussed.