The explicit solutions to the nonlinear Dirac equation and Dirac-Klein-Gordon equation (Q2467935)

It is well known that the Cauchy problem for the wave equation in one dimension can be easily solved. \textit{J.-P. Dias} and \textit{M. Figueira} [Ric. Mat. 35, 309--316 (1986; Zbl 0658.35076)] have shown, that the squared argument of a solution of the so called nonlinear Dirac equation \(\partial_tu + \alpha\partial_xu = i|u|^2u\), \(\alpha\) being a two-by-two Hermitian traceless matrix with \(\alpha^2=1\), compare \textit{W. E. Thirring} [Ann. Phys. 3, 91--112 (1958; Zbl 0078.44303)], fulfills the one-dimensional wave equation \(\partial_t^2|u|^2 - \partial_x^2|u|^2 = 0\). The authors of the present paper construct the explicit solutions \(u=(u_1, u_2)\) for the cases \(\alpha = \sigma_1, \sigma_2, \sigma_3\), \(\sigma_i\) being the Pauli matrices. Explicit solutions for the general case, \(\alpha = {\mathbf e}\cdot {\pmb \sigma}\), \({\mathbf e}\) being a unit vector of \(\mathbb R^3\), are not considered as well as actions of SU(2) on solutions. Instead, explicit solutions for two related Cauchy problems with \(\alpha = \sigma_1, \sigma_2, \sigma_3\), the Dirac-Klein-Gordon system of equations, \(\partial_tu + \alpha\partial_xu = i\varphi u\), \(\partial_t^2\varphi - \partial_x^2\varphi = u^+ \alpha u\), and the Dirac equation with matrix potential \(\partial_tu + \alpha\partial_xu = iVu\), \(V(x)\) being a two Hermitian by two matrix commuting with \(\alpha\) are constructed. Eventually, the decay of the solutions for \(t \rightarrow \infty\) is considered. This is a nice and well formulated paper.