Long-time asymptotics for the Toda lattice in the soliton region (Q1022329)

The authors compute the long-time asymptotics of solutions of the initial value problem for the doubly infinite Toda lattice with decaying initial data. The asymptotic formulas are given in the soliton region \(|n/t| \geq 1 + C/t \log(t)^2\) for some \(C>0\). In the remaining region, the authors point out how to reduce the problem to the known case without solitons. The method is based on the nonlinear steepest descent analysis for oscillatory Riemann-Hilbert problems of [\textit{P. Deift} and \textit{X. Zhou}, Ann. Math. (2) 137, No. 2, 295--368 (1993; Zbl 0771.35042)]. In the present case with solitons the associated Riemann-Hilbert factorization problem posed two new difficulties: the nonuniqueness issue for the Riemann-Hilbert problem became crucial and a uniform bound for the inverse of the singular integral equation associated with a one-soliton solution was needed.