On the spectral problem for the periodic Camassa-Holm equation (Q1359660)

The Camassa-Holm equation \(u_t- u_{xxt}+ 3uu_x= 2u_xu_{xx}+ uu_{xxx}\) describes the motion of dispersive-solitary waves in shallow water regime and exhibits some interesting features that do not arise in the well-known KdV model. Here the author investigates the associated spectral problem \(y''={1\over 4} y+\lambda my\), in which the time \(t\) of the Camassa-Holm equation appears as a parameter, and where \(m(x)= u-u_{xx}\in C[0;1]\) (the author calls \(m\) the potential). In particular, using only elementary geometric arguments, he finds eigenvalues \(\lambda_n\in\mathbb{R}\) for which the above spectral problem has periodic or aperiodic solutions, and shows that the corresponding eigenfunctions have exactly \([(n+1)/2]\) zeros on \([0;1)\).