The implementation of the unified transform to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with periodic initial conditions (Q829966)

Consider the periodic initial value problem \[ \left\{\begin{array}{ll} iq_t+q_{xx}-2\lambda q|q|^2=0&\quad (0 < x < L,~t > 0) \\ q(x,0)=q_0(x)&\quad (0 < x < L) \\ q(x+L,t)=q(x,t) &\quad (0 < x < L,~t > 0) \end{array}\right. \] where \(\lambda=\pm1\) and \(q_0\) is a given \(L\)-periodic function. The main result of the paper under review expresses the function \(q(x,t)\) as the limit of a branch of complex valued functions \[ q(x,t)=2i\lim_{k\to+\infty}k\,\tilde m_{12}(x,t;k) \] where \[ \tilde m(x,t;k)=\left[\begin{array}{cc} \tilde m_{11}(x,t;k)&m_{12}(x,t;k)\\ m_{21}(x,t;k)&m_{22}(x,t;k) \end{array}\right] \quad(k\in\mathbb C) \] solves a Riemann-Hilbert problem. In the case of a constant initial data, \(q_0(x)=q_0\in\mathbb R\), the authors derive the solution \(\tilde m\) of the Riemann-Hilbert problem explicitly, thereby obtaining the solution \[ q(x,t)=q_0e^{-2i\lambda q_0^2t}\,. \]