We study real and complex Manin triples for a complex reductive Lie algebra
g. First, we generalize results of E. Karolinsky (1996, Math. Phys. Anal.
Geom 3, 545-563; 1999, Preprint math.QA.9901073) on the classification of L
agrangian subalgebras. Then we show that, if g is noncommutative, one can a
ttach to each Manin triple in g another one for a strictly smaller reductiv
e complex Lie subalgebra of g. This gives a powerful tool for induction. Th
en we classify complex Marlin triples in terms of what we call generalized
Belavin-Drinfeld data. This generalizes, by other methods, the classificati
on of A. Belavin and V. G. Drinfeld of certain r-matrices, i.e., the soluti
ons of modified triangle equations for constants (cf. A. Belavin and V. G.
Drinfeld, "Triangle Equations and Simple Lie Algebras," Mathematical Physic
s Reviews, Vol. 4, pp. 93-165, Harwood Academic, Chur, 1984, Theorem 6.1).
We get also results for real Martin triples. In passing, we retrieve a resu
lt of A. Panov (1999, Preprint math.QA.9904156) which classifies certain Li
e bialgebra structures on a real simple Lie algebra. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie
nce.