One-parameter localized traveling waves in nonlinear Schrödinger lattices (Q2462071)

Traveling waves for lattice differential equations, in particular the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, are investigated. The traveling wave ansatz and rescaling yield an advanced-delayed functional differential equation for an unknown function \( \Phi\). The equation has parameters \( \beta, \kappa\) and a cubic nonlinearity \(f\) which is applied to \( \Phi\) with undelayed and with delayed/advanced argument. Restrictions on the Taylor coefficients of \(f\) (e.g., that some of them vanish) are used frequently; under such conditions an explicit analytical solution is known for \( \beta = \pi/2\) and \( \kappa >0\). A perturbation analysis starting from this special solution is performed; important techniques are perturbation theory of linear operators, the Fredholm alternative, Melnikov functions, and numerical verification of spectral assumptions. One main result is that the special solution `survives' perturbation in some models while it does not persist in others.