Poisson Pencils, Integrability, and Separation of Variables

Abstract

In this paper we will review a recently introduced method for solving the Hamilton-Jacobi equations by the method of Separation of Variables. This method is based on the notion of pencil of Poisson brackets and on the bihamiltonian approach to integrable systems. We will discuss how separability conditions can be intrinsically characterized within such a geometrical set-up, the definition of the separation coordinates being encompassed in the \bih structure itself. We finally discuss these constructions studying in details a particular example, based on a generalization of the classical Toda Lattice.