Stable and metastable states and the formation and destruction of breathers in the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation (Q1038455)

This article deals with the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation \[ i\dot\phi_n = \phi_{n+1} + \phi_{n-1} + \phi_n|\phi_n|^2 \] or, in Hamiltonian form, \[ i\dot\phi_n = \frac{\partial {\mathcal H}}{\partial \phi_n^*}, \quad {\mathcal H} = \sum_{n=1}^N (\phi_{n+1}\phi_n^* + \phi_{n+1}^*\phi_n) + \frac{|\phi_n|^4}2; \] This equation describes the dynamics of a chain of complex oscillators \(\phi_n\) at the lattice site \(n\). The author introduces a special class of states, called \textit{metastable} ones (such states are stable under small excitations and unstable when they are perturbated strongly) and develops a method allowing him to calculate these metastable states. Further, he gives an analytical expression that approximates the entropy in the state space. The arguments of the author are usually heuristic, however his conclusions are confirmed with numerical simulations and some concrete illustrations. It should be noted that this article is written in a manner typical for physicists but not mathematicians, and, as a result, it will be incomprehensible to specialists in mathematics and even mathematical physics.