The Riemann boundary value problem on closed Riemann surfaces and integrable systems (Q1084231)

This survey article deals with the Riemann problem on closed Riemann surfaces both in the scalar and in the matrix form for the analytic as well as for the Vekua system case and with applications in physics. Since many years the author is one of the main contributors to this theory. Thus the article is well written and informative. After an introduction of Abelian differentials the Riemann-Roch theorem is presented followed by the appropriate generalizations of the Cauchy kernels and Cauchy integrals. The Riemann boundary problem based on the Plemelj-Sokhotzkij formulae for Lyapunov contours is discussed for the scalar as well as for the matrix form, its relation to the Jacobi inversion problem and the explicit solutions expressed by the Riemann theta function is presented. In the matrix case the problem is reduced to a singular integral equation via a Cauchy type integral which under proper assumptions may be solved by iteration. The special Carleman-Bers-Vekua equation \({\bar \partial}u=Au\), \({\bar \partial}=\partial /\overline{\partial z(p)}\), is studied where A(p)dz(p) in the scalar case is an invariant differential form and A may have finite jumps in finitely many single points and curves. In the matrix case A is an \(n\times n\) matrix. This equation turns out to be equivalent to a Riemann problem in matrix form for analytic vectors. As one of the applications the one dimensional Schrödinger equation with time independent spectrum in the simplest case where the related Lax equation is the Korteweg-de Vries equation is reduced to a Riemann problem in matrix form with a \(2\times 2\) matrix on a Riemann surface. Moreover the Landau-Lifschitz equation is treated similarly. Other problems as the Painlevé problem and the inverse scattering problem are discussed the latter one leading to an equation of the Carleman-Bers-Vekua form on a surface. In a forthcoming Springer Lecture Notes book the author is developing the theory for the general Vekua equation \({\bar \partial}u=Au+B\bar u\) on Riemann surfaces again with applications in mathematical physics.