Theodora Ioannidou

A novel discrete algebra is presented which follows by combining the SU(2) Lie-Poisson bracket with the discrete Frenet equation. Physically, the construction describes a discrete piecewise linear string in R 3 . The starting point of our derivation is the discrete Frenet frame assigned at each vertex of the string. Then the link vector that connects the neighboring vertices is assigned the SU(2) Lie-Poisson bracket. Moreover, the same bracket defines the transfer matrices of the discrete Frenet equation which relates two neighboring frames along the string. The procedure extends in a self-similar manner to an infinite hierarchy of Poisson structures. As an example, the first descendant of the SU(2) Lie-Poisson structure is presented in detail. For this, the spinor representation of the discrete Frenet equation is employed, as it converts the brackets into a computationally more manageable form. The final result is a nonlinear, nontrivial, and novel Poisson structure that engages four neighboring vertices.