\(1+1\) wave maps into symmetric spaces (Q707478)

Using Bäcklund transformations, the authors construct \(2k\)-soliton breather solutions for the -1 flow associated to a compact Lie group. They show how these give rise to \(2k\)-soliton homoclinic wave maps from the Lorentzian surface \(S^1\times \mathbb R^1\) into homogeneous spaces (where by wave maps the authors denote harmonic maps defined on a Lorentzian manifold). This result generalizes the result by \textit{J. Shatah} and \textit{W. Strauss} [Physica D 99, 113--133 (1996; Zbl 0890.58009)] according to which the classical breather solutions of the sine-Gordon equation give rise to periodic homoclinic wave maps into \(S^2= \text{SU}(2)/ \text{SO}(2)\).