Important Developments in Soliton Theory

Important Developments in Soliton Theory

Author: A.S. Fokas

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 563

ISBN-13: 3642580459

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In the last ten to fifteen years there have been many important developments in the theory of integrable equations. This period is marked in particular by the strong impact of soliton theory in many diverse areas of mathematics and physics; for example, algebraic geometry (the solution of the Schottky problem), group theory (the discovery of quantum groups), topology (the connection of Jones polynomials with integrable models), and quantum gravity (the connection of the KdV with matrix models). This is the first book to present a comprehensive overview of these developments. Numbered among the authors are many of the most prominent researchers in the field.


Inverse Scattering Problems and Their Application to Nonlinear Integrable Equations

Inverse Scattering Problems and Their Application to Nonlinear Integrable Equations

Author: Pham Loi Vu

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2023-05-15

Total Pages: 453

ISBN-13: 100087205X

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Inverse Scattering Problems and Their Applications to Nonlinear Integrable Equations, Second Edition is devoted to inverse scattering problems (ISPs) for differential equations and their applications to nonlinear evolution equations (NLEEs). The book is suitable for anyone who has a mathematical background and interest in functional analysis, differential equations, and equations of mathematical physics. This book is intended for a wide community working with ISPs and their applications. There is an especially strong traditional community in mathematical physics. In this monograph, the problems are presented step-by-step, and detailed proofs are given for considered problems to make the topics more accessible for students who are approaching them for the first time. New to the Second Edition All new chapter dealing with the Bäcklund transformations between a common solution of both linear equations in the Lax pair and the solution of the associated IBVP for NLEEs on the half-line Updated references and concluding remarks Features Solving the direct and ISP, then solving the associated initial value problem (IVP) or initial-boundary value problem (IBVP) for NLEEs are carried out step-by-step. The unknown boundary values are calculated with the help of the Lax (generalized) equations, then the time-dependent scattering data (SD) are expressed in terms of preassigned initial and boundary conditions. Thereby, the potential functions are recovered uniquely in terms of the given initial and calculated boundary conditions. The unique solvability of the ISP is proved and the SD of the scattering problem is described completely. The considered ISPs are well-solved. The ISPs are set up appropriately for constructing the Bӓckhund transformations (BTs) for solutions of associated IBVPs or IVPs for NLEEs. The procedure for finding a BT for the IBVP for NLEEs on the half-line differs from the one used for obtaining a BT for non-linear differential equations defined in the whole space. The interrelations between the ISPs and the constructed BTs are established to become new powerful unified transformations (UTs) for solving IBVPs or IVPs for NLEEs, that can be used in different areas of physics and mechanics. The application of the UTs is consistent and efficiently embedded in the scheme of the associated ISP.


Painlevé Transcendents

Painlevé Transcendents

Author: Athanassios S. Fokas

Publisher: American Mathematical Society

Published: 2023-11-20

Total Pages: 570

ISBN-13: 1470475561

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At the turn of the twentieth century, the French mathematician Paul Painlevé and his students classified second order nonlinear ordinary differential equations with the property that the location of possible branch points and essential singularities of their solutions does not depend on initial conditions. It turned out that there are only six such equations (up to natural equivalence), which later became known as Painlevé I–VI. Although these equations were initially obtained answering a strictly mathematical question, they appeared later in an astonishing (and growing) range of applications, including, e.g., statistical physics, fluid mechanics, random matrices, and orthogonal polynomials. Actually, it is now becoming clear that the Painlevé transcendents (i.e., the solutions of the Painlevé equations) play the same role in nonlinear mathematical physics that the classical special functions, such as Airy and Bessel functions, play in linear physics. The explicit formulas relating the asymptotic behaviour of the classical special functions at different critical points play a crucial role in the applications of these functions. It is shown in this book that even though the six Painlevé equations are nonlinear, it is still possible, using a new technique called the Riemann-Hilbert formalism, to obtain analogous explicit formulas for the Painlevé transcendents. This striking fact, apparently unknown to Painlevé and his contemporaries, is the key ingredient for the remarkable applicability of these “nonlinear special functions”. The book describes in detail the Riemann-Hilbert method and emphasizes its close connection to classical monodromy theory of linear equations as well as to modern theory of integrable systems. In addition, the book contains an ample collection of material concerning the asymptotics of the Painlevé functions and their various applications, which makes it a good reference source for everyone working in the theory and applications of Painlevé equations and related areas.


Direct and Inverse Scattering on the Line

Direct and Inverse Scattering on the Line

Author: Richard Beals

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2015-03-02

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1470420546

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This book deals with the theory of linear ordinary differential operators of arbitrary order. Unlike treatments that focus on spectral theory, this work centers on the construction of special eigenfunctions (generalized Jost solutions) and on the inverse problem: the problem of reconstructing the operator from minimal data associated to the special eigenfunctions. In the second order case this program includes spectral theory and is equivalent to quantum mechanical scattering theory; the essential analysis involves only the bounded eigenfunctions. For higher order operators, bounded eigenfunctions are again sufficient for spectral theory and quantum scattering theory, but they are far from sufficient for a successful inverse theory. The authors give a complete and self-contained theory of the inverse problem for an ordinary differential operator of any order. The theory provides a linearization for the associated nonlinear evolution equations, including KdV and Boussinesq. The authors also discuss Darboux-Bäcklund transformations, related first-order systems and their evolutions, and applications to spectral theory and quantum mechanical scattering theory. Among the book's most significant contributions are a new construction of normalized eigenfunctions and the first complete treatment of the self-adjoint inverse problem in order greater than two. In addition, the authors present the first analytic treatment of the corresponding flows, including a detailed description of the phase space for Boussinesq and other equations. The book is intended for mathematicians, physicists, and engineers in the area of soliton equations, as well as those interested in the analytical aspects of inverse scattering or in the general theory of linear ordinary differential operators. This book is likely to be a valuable resource to many. Required background consists of a basic knowledge of complex variable theory, the theory of ordinary differential equations, linear algebra, and functional analysis. The authors have attempted to make the book sufficiently complete and self-contained to make it accessible to a graduate student having no prior knowledge of scattering or inverse scattering theory. The book may therefore be suitable for a graduate textbook or as background reading in a seminar.


Aspects of Integrability of Differential Systems and Fields

Aspects of Integrability of Differential Systems and Fields

Author: Costas J. Papachristou

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-01-01

Total Pages: 101

ISBN-13: 3030350029

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This book serves as an introduction to the concept of integrability as it applies to systems of differential equations as well as to vector-valued fields. The author focuses on specific aspects of integrability that are often encountered in a variety of problems in applied mathematics, physics and engineering. The following general cases of integrability are examined: (a) path-independence of line integrals of vector fields on the plane and in space; (b) integration of a system of ordinary differential equations by using first integrals; and (c) integrable systems of partial differential equations. Special topics include the integration of analytic functions and some elements from the geometric theory of differential systems. Certain more advanced subjects, such as Lax pairs and Bäcklund transformations, are also discussed. The book is written at an intermediate level for educational purposes. The presentation is as simple as the topics allow, often sacrificing mathematical rigor in favor of pedagogical efficiency.