Regular solutions of the Shabat equation (Q1288860)

The author discusses the Shabat equation \[ f'(t)+q^2f'(qt)+f^2(t)-q^2f^2(qt)=\mu,\tag{1} \] where \(q\) and \(\mu\) are real parameters, \(q\in (-1,0)\cup (0,1)\). A function \(f(t)\) is called a global solution to (1) if \(f(t)\in C^1(\mathbb{R})\) and it satisfies (1) for every \(t\in\mathbb{R}\). In the case \(\mu >0\), a function \(f(t)\) is called a regular solution to (1) if it is a global solution to (1) and it satisfies the asymptotic expansions \[ f(t)=\pm f^*+O(t^{-2})\qquad\text{and}\qquad f'(t)=O(t^{-3})\quad\text{as }t\to\pm\infty,\text{ with }f^*=\sqrt{\mu\big /(1-q^2)}. \] Considering the initial condition (2) \(f(0)=f_0\) the author proves that the initial value problem (1), (2) has a unique solution in a neighborhood of the origin and set up conditions under which the solution is regular, resp. it is not global. It is shown that for \(\mu >0\) any global solution \(f(t)\) to (1) satisfying \(f(t)\to\pm f^*\) as \(t\to\pm\infty\) is a regular solution. The author discusses also some related topics, including \(q\)-difference equations, neutral equations and Dirichlet series.