Chern-Simons $p$-Branes and $p$-Dimensional Classical $W$-Algebras

Abstract

It is shown that the generalized (with nonpolynomial Lagrangian) Chern-Simons membranes and in general $p$-branes moving in $D$-dimensional target space admit an infinite set of secondary constraints. With respect to the Poisson bracket these constraints satisfy closed algebra containing $p$-dimensional classical $W$ algebra as a subalgebra. In the case when the target space dimension $D$ is finite the theory is topological.