On a class of solutions of KdV (Q557048)

The inverse scattering transform for solving Cauchy problems for the KdV equation and other integrable systems is often presented as nonlinear Fourier transform. Therefore this method should lead to a nonlinear analogue of the Fourier expansion formula \(u(t,x)= \int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}\hat{u}(k)e^{i(kx-w(k)t)}\). The role of the factors \(e^{i(kx-w(k)t)}\) here is played by a special class of KdV solutions, the so-called harmonic breathers. The author develops the theory of harmonic breathers and in particular uses them for the construction of more general KdV solutions. The nonlinear superposition formula is conjectured for general KdV solutions.