Integrable nonlinear evolution equations on a finite interval (Q2456758)

The general methodology by Fokas is applied to the following initial boundary value problems: \(sG: q_{tt}- q_{xx}+ \sin q= 0\), given \(q(x,0)\), \(q_t(x,0)\), \(q(0,t)\), \(q(L, t)\); mKdV-I: \(q_t+ q_{xxx}- 6\lambda q^2q= 0\), given \(q(x,0)\), \(q(0, t)\), \(q(L, t)\), \(q_x(L,t)\); mKdV-II: \(q_t- q_{xxx}+ 6\lambda q^2 q= 0\), given \(q(x,0)\), \(q_x(0, t)\), \(q(L, t)\), where \(\lambda= \pm 1\), \(0< x< L\), \(0< t< T\). The approach is as follows. The given boundary and initial values can be completed to obtain well-posed problems. (For instance, the Dirichlet data in \(sG\) determine also the Neumann boundary values \(q_x(0, t)\) and \(q_x(L,t)\) through a nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations.) Then the completed initial and boundary data provide the so-called spectral functions \(a(k)\), \(b(k)\) in the complex \(k\)-plane and finally the jump matrices for a certain \(2\times 2\)-matrix Riemann-Hilbert problem which has a global matrix solution \(M(x,t,k)\). The solution \(q= q(x,t)\) of the initial boundary value problems is explicitly expressed in terms of \(M\), (for instance, \[ \cos q(x,t)= 1+ 2\lim_{k\to\infty} (k(M(x, t,k)_{12})^2+ 2i\,\partial_x kM(x, t,k)_{22}) \] for the \(sG\) initial boundary value problem).