The Inverse Scattering Transformation and The Theory of Solitons

A study, by two of the major contributors to the theory, of the inverse scattering transform and its application to problems of nonlinear dispersive waves that arise in fluid dynamics, plasma physics, nonlinear optics, particle physics, crystal lattice theory, nonlinear circuit theory and other areas. A soliton is a localised pulse-like nonlinear wave that possesses remarkable stability properties. Typically, problems that admit soliton solutions are in the form of evolution equations that describe how some variable or set of variables evolve in time from a given state. The equations may take a variety of forms, for example, PDEs, differential difference equations, partial difference equations, and integrodifferential equations, as well as coupled ODEs of finite order. What is surprising is that, although these problems are nonlinear, the general solution that evolves from almost arbitrary initial data may be obtained without approximation.

Proceedings of the NSF Research Workshop on Contact Transformations, Held in Nashville, Tennessee, 1974

The book is devoted to the mathematical theory of soliton phenomena on the plane. The inverse spectral transform method which is a main tool for the study of the (2+1)-dimensional soliton equation is reviewed. The ∂-problem and the Riemann-Hilbert problem method are discussed. Several basic examples of soliton equations are considered in detail. This volume is addressed both to the nonexpert and to the researcher in the field. This is the first literature dealing specifically with multidimensional solition equations.

This book will be a valuable addition to the growing literature in the area and essential reading for all researchers in the field of soliton theory.