Additional symmetries of KP, Grassmannian, and the string equation

Abstract

It is well-known that solutions to the string equation are generated by elements of Sato's Grassmannian which are invariant under action of some differential operator. Here it is shown that this operator is nothing else than the infinitesimal operator of the group of additional symmetries of the KdV flow. This is done for KdV hierarchies of arbitrary orders. Virasoro constraints are obtained in a slightly more general form than they are usually written.