Rota-Baxter 3-Lie algebras

In this paper we introduce the concepts of a Rota-Baxter operator and a differential operator with weights on an $n$-algebra. We then focus on Rota-Baxter 3-Lie algebras and show that they can be derived from Rota-Baxter Lie algebras and pre-Lie algebras and from Rota-Baxter commutative associative algebras with derivations. We also establish the inheritance property of Rota-Baxter 3-Lie algebras.