Continuum analogues of contragredient Lie algebras

We present an axiomatic formulation of a new class of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras - the generalizations of Z-graded Lie algebras with, generally speaking, an infinite-dimensional Cartan subalgebra and a contiguous set of roots. We call such algebras ''continuum Lie algebras''. The simple Lie algebras of constant growth are encapsulated in our formulation. We pay particular attention to the case when the local algebra is parametrized by a commutative algebra while the Cartan operator (the generalization of the Cartan matrix) is a linear operator. Special examples of these algebras are the Kac-Moody algebras, algebras of Poisson brackets, algebras of vector fields on a manifold, current algebras, and algebras with differential or integro-differential Cartan operator. The nonlinear dynamical systems associated with the continuum contragredient Lie algebras are also considered. (author). 9 refs