The geometry of the Toda equation

Abstract

I show that solutions of the SU(infinity) Toda field equation generating a fixed Einstein-Weyl space are governed by a linear equation on the Einstein-Weyl space. From this, obstructions to the existence of Toda solutions generating a given Einstein-Weyl space are found. I also give a classification of Einstein-Weyl spaces arising from the Toda equation in more than one way. This classification coincides with a class of spaces found by Ward and hence clarifies some of their properties. I end by discussing the simplest examples.