We develop the theory of integrable operators K acting on a domain of the complex plane with smooth boundary in analogy with the theory of integrable operators acting on contours of the complex plane. We show how the resolvent operator is obtained from the solution of a partial derivative -problem in the complex plane. When such a partial derivative -problem depends on auxiliary parameters we define its Malgrange one form in analogy with the theory of isomonodromic problems. We show that the Malgrange one form is closed and coincides with the exterior logarithmic differential of the Hilbert-Carleman determinant of the operator K . With suitable choices of the setup we show that the Hilbert-Carleman determinant is a tau-function of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) or nonlinear Schrodinger hierarchies.
