Recursion operators and the hierarchies of MKdV equations related to $D_4^{(1)}$, $D_4^{(2)}$ and $D_4^{(3)}$ Kac-Moody algebras
We constructed the three nonequivalent gradings in the algebra $D_4 \simeq so(8)$. The first one is the standard one obtained with the Coxeter automorphism $C_1=S_{α_2} S_{α_1}S_{α_3}S_{α_4}$ using its dihedral realization. In the second one we use $C_2 = C_1R$ where $R$ is the mirror automorphism. The third one is $C_3 = S_{α_2}S_{α_1}T$ where $T$ is the external automorphism of order 3. For each of these gradings we constructed the basis in the corresponding linear subspaces $\mathfrak{g}^{(k)}$, the orbits of the Coxeter automorphisms and the related Lax pairs generating the corresponding mKdV hierarchies. We found compact expressions for each of the hierarchies in terms of the recursion operators. At the end we wrote explicitly the first nontrivial mKdV equations and their Hamiltonians. For $D_4^{(1)}$ these are in fact two mKdV systems, due to the fact that in this case the exponent $3$ has multiplicity 2. Each of these mKdV systems consist of 4 equations of third order with respect to $\partial_x$. For $D_4^{(2)}$ this is a system of three equations of third order with respect to $\partial_x$. Finally, for $D_4^{(3)}$ this is a system of two equations of fifth order with respect to $\partial_x$.