Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 665–669

www.elsevier.com/locate/pla

On exact N-loop soliton solution to nonlinear coupled dispersionless

evolution equations
V.K. Kuetche a,∗ , T.B. Bouetou b,c , T.C. Kofane a,c
a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, PO Box 812, Cameroon
b Ecole Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique, Université de Yaoundé I, B.P. 8390, Cameroon
c The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, PO Box 586, Strada Costiera, IT-34014 Trieste, Italy

Received 13 January 2007; received in revised form 13 August 2007; accepted 17 August 2007
Available online 28 August 2007
Communicated by A.P. Fordy

Abstract
We investigate some nonlinear coupled dispersionless evolution equations (NLCDEE) modelling the dynamics of a current-fed string within
an external magnetic field in 2D-space. Using a blend of transformations of independent variables, we derive from the previous equations a
Schäfer–Wayne short pulse equation (SWSPE). By means of a transformation back to the original independent variables, we find the N-loop
soliton solution to the coupled equations. We give some detail on the scattering behavior of two-loop solitons.
© 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PACS: 05.45.Yv

Keywords: Coupled dispersionless equations; Schäfer–Wayne short pulse equation

1. Introduction in Lax’s form [5]. This says then that the equations are exactly
solvable.
Among the nonlinear partial differential equations (NLPDE) When one has to deal with a certain exactly solvable NLEE,
of physical interest, an important role is played by the class two fundamental problems arise:
of evolution equations which possess a series of remarkable
features, such as, for instance, solitary wave solutions which • the development of a method of solution, and
preserve their shape through nonlinear interaction. Because of • the investigation of the algebraic properties of the equation.
their particle-like character, these solutions have been named
solitons by Zabusky and Kruskal, in their pioneering work on The latter concerns the existence of an infinite sequence of
the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation [1]. conserved quantities in involution, the possession of infi-
Nonlinear evolution equations (NLEE) having soliton solu- nitely many commuting symmetries [6,7], the Hamiltonian,
tions share many special properties, i.e. an infinite sequence bi-Hamiltonian and action-angle formulations, and other [8].
of conservation laws and Lie–Bäcklund symmetries [2], mul- Recently, Konno, Oono and Kotlyarov [9,10] have investi-
tisoliton solutions, Bäcklund transformations, and reduction to gated some NLCDEE having the form
ordinary differential equations of Painlevé type [3,4]. Further-
more, these equations may be obtained via the compatibility of qxt + (s  s)x /2 = 0, (1)
two associated linear operators; in other words, they can be put sxt − sqx = 0, (2)

sxt − s qx = 0,

(3)
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: vkuetche@yahoo.fr (V.K. Kuetche), tbouetou@yahoo.fr which are a special case of a more general set of integrable
(T.B. Bouetou), tckofane@yahoo.com (T.C. Kofane). equations [11]. Subscripts denote partial derivation and the
0375-9601/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2007.08.023
666 V.K. Kuetche et al. / Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 665–669

symbol () refers to complex conjugation. q and s are complex- Now, using the above-operators ∂t and ∂x defined in Eq. (12),
valued physical quantities. These authors have presented and since ∂x ∂t = ∂t ∂x , it comes
solved the above system by the inverse scattering transform.  
1
It has been shown that these equations also have growing, ∂t ∂x = −ψ∂ξ ∂ζ − X 2 ∂ξ . (13)
decaying and stationary soliton solutions [11]. Kakuhata and 2
Konno [12] have given a physical interpretation of these NL- Applying the operator ∂t ∂x to a function X , we may find
CDEE while investigating a two-loop soliton solution via Hi- 

rota bilinear method. 1  2

∂t ∂x X = −ψ ∂ξ (∂ζ X) − ∂ξ X ∂ξ X ,
The aim of this Letter is to transform Eqs. (1)–(3) into a 2


SWSPE [13], and then give the N -loop soliton solution to the 1  3
NLCDEE by means of the transformation back to the original = −ψ Xξ ζ − X ξ ξ , (14)
6
independent variables.
In Section 2, we transform the NLCDEE (1)–(3) to a owing to the relation X2 ∂ξ X = 13 (X3 )ξ . We consider the first
SWSPE, followed with some detail on the scattering behavior equation of the system (9), that is Xtx = −ψX , and we use
between two soliton solutions. We end our work with a sum- Eq. (14) to finally derive
mary in Section 3. 1  3
Xξ ζ = X + X ξξ , (15)
6
2. Transformation of the NLCDEE (1)–(3)
where X (t, x) = X(ξ, ζ ). This equation is known as the
Let us consider the following settings Schäfer–Wayne short pulse equation [13]. It models the prop-
agation of ultra-short pulses in silica optical fibres. It is an
q = Z, s = X + ıY. (4) approximation of the Maxwell’s equations in the case when
the pulse spectrum is not narrowly localized around the car-
Then, Eqs. (1)–(3) become rier frequency. It has been recently shown that the SWSPE is
Xτ τ − Xσ σ = −(Zτ + Zσ )X, (5) equivalent to the sine-Gordon (sG) equation [15,16].
Indeed, using the recursion operator of the SWSPE, it comes
Yτ τ − Yσ σ = −(Zτ + Zσ )Y, (6) [15,16]
Zτ τ − Zσ σ = (Xτ + Xσ )X + (Yτ + Yσ )Y, (7)
X(ξ, ζ ) = uζ (y, ζ ), ξ = w(y, ζ ), (16)
which represent some coupled equations recently studied by
wζ (y, ζ ) = −u2ζ (y, ζ ), u(y, ζ ) = arccos(wy ). (17)
Kakuhata and Konno [14]. We pay some interest on the vari-
ations of X as a function of Z. We therefore set Y = 0. We note The system of two equations for w(y, ζ ) is compatible if and
that Eqs. (5)–(7) have been derived under the transformations only if u(y, ζ ) satisfies the sG equation.
σ = x + t and τ = x − t . Using Hirota’s method, and considering the following de-
Now, using the following setting pendent variable transformation

ψ = −(Zσ + Zτ ), (8) u = 2ı ln(f  /f ), (18)

into Eqs. (5)–(7), we get for the sG equation, it is found that [17]

Xtx = −ψX , ψt = X X x , (9) 1  2

Dy Dζ (f · f ) = − (f ) − f 2 . (19)
2
such that X(σ, τ ) = X (t, x). In this particular case, we have
taken Y = 0. The N -soliton solution satisfying Eq. (19) is given by
From Eq. (9), we can write  N 
  N
 t  fN = exp μj (ηj ± ıπ/2) + μi μj Aij , (20)
μ=0,1 j =1 1i<j
ψ =− 1− X (s, x)Xx (s, x) ds . (10)
−∞ where ηi = ki y + ζ /ki + η(0) and
 
Indeed, performing variable transformation, we introduce new  ki − kj 

Aij = 2 ln . (21)
independent variables ξ and ζ as follows, ki + kj 
t
1 We note that μ=0,1 means the summation over all possible
ξ =x− X 2 (s, x) ds, ζ = t, (11) combination of μ1 = 0 or 1, μ2 = 0 or 1, . . . , μN = 0 or 1, and
2 (N )
−∞ 1i<j means the summation over all possible combinations
such that we may obviously derive the following expressions of N elements under the condition 1  i < j .
Alternatively, f can be expressed as
1
∂t = ∂ζ − X 2 ∂ξ , ∂x = −ψ∂ξ . (12)
2 f = F + ıG, (22)
 V.K. Kuetche et al. / Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 665–669 667

where F and G are real. Then, Eq. (19) becomes with similar amplitudes. During the interaction process, there
is some exchange of the amplitudes between the solitons. This
Dy Dζ (F · F − G · G) = 0, Dy Dζ (F · G) = F G, (23) process may be interpreted as a repulsion phenomenon with an
giving rise to exchange of the amplitude. However, what seems worth noting
is the absence of the overlapping between the solitons. In this
u = 4 arctan(G/F ). (24) case, we have chosen k1 = 0.5 and k2 = 0.4.
Now, let us consider two simple cases: N = 1 and N = 2. To get more informations on the scattering behavior between
the two-loop solitons, it seems underlying to represent a phase
2.1. Case N = 1 portrait showing the shifts of the individual solitons which are
due to the nonlinear interaction. Before showing this phase por-
We then write trait, we first rewrite Eq. (32) into the following one

f = 1 + exp(η ± ıπ/2). (25) 4(k12 − k22 )

X=
This leads to (k12 + k22 )k1 k2
 k1 sech(u2 ) + k2 sech(u1 )
u = ±4 arctan eη , (26) × 2k1 k2
,
1+ [sech(u1 ) sech(u2 ) − tanh(u1 ) tanh(u2 )]
k1 +k2
2 2
with η = ky + ζ /k + η(0) . Then, it comes (34)
2 2
X = ∓ sech(η), ξ = y − tanh(η). (27)
k k
It can be easily shown that Z and ξ are equal up to some arbi-
trary constant. Therefore, coming back to the original variables,
X = X(Z) describes a travelling loop-shaped wave moving
towards negative direction with velocity v = −1/k 2 and am-
plitude 2/k.

2.2. Case N = 2

In this case, we consider

F = 1 − exp(η1 + η2 + A12 ), G = e η1 + e η2 , (28)
where ηi = ki y + ζ /ki + ηi(0) (i = 1, 2) and A12 is given by
Eq. (21). We get
 
m cosh(ψ)
u = −4 arctan , (29)
n sinh(φ)
with Fig. 1. Two-loop solitons with dissimilar amplitudes.

m = (k1 + k2 )/2, n = (k1 − k2 )/2. (30)

ψ and φ are expressed as
 
ψ = n y − ζ / m2 − n 2 ,
 
φ = m y + ζ / m2 − n2 + A12 /2. (31)
It then comes
4mn m cosh ψ cosh φ + n sinh ψ sinh φ
X(ξ, ζ ) = 2 , (32)
m − n2 m2 cosh2 ψ + n2 sinh2 φ
2mn m sinh(2ψ) + n sinh ψ sinh φ
ξ =y+ 2 . (33)
m − n2 m2 cosh2 ψ + n2 sinh2 φ
The last Eqs. (32)–(33) describe a two-loop soliton solution as
seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Indeed, in Fig. 1, we have taken dissim-
ilar amplitudes such that k1 = 0.5 and k2 = 0.2, leading to a
scattering between a small soliton and a large one moving alto-
gether towards negative direction. During this process, the small
soliton travels along the large one before being shifted back-
wards. Fig. 2 describes scattering between two-loop solitons Fig. 2. Two-loop solitons with similar amplitudes.
668 V.K. Kuetche et al. / Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 665–669

Fig. 3. Phase shift space–time trajectories of two-loop solitons with k1 = 0.5 Fig. 5. Phase shift space–time trajectories of a loop and antiloop solitons with
and k2 = 0.2. k1 = 0.5 and k2 = −0.2.

Alternatively, we can consider the case

F = 1 + exp(η1 + η2 + A12 ), G = e η1 − e η2 , (37)
leading to
 
m sinh(ψ)
u = 4 arctan . (38)
n cosh(φ)
We hence derive
4mn m sinh ψ sinh φ + n cosh ψ cosh φ
X(ξ, ζ ) = − 2 , (39)
m + n2 m2 sinh2 ψ + n2 cosh2 φ
2mn m sinh(2ψ) − n sinh(2φ)
ξ =y+ 2 . (40)
m − n2 m2 sinh2 ψ + n2 cosh2 φ
This gives a loop–antiloop interaction as shown in Fig. 4. Here,
we have considered k1 = 0.5 and k2 = 0.2. This equation can
also take the form
−4(k12 − k22 )
X=
Fig. 4. Loop–antiloop interaction with k1 = 0.5 and k2 = −0.2. (k12 + k22 )k1 k2
k1 sech(u2 ) + k2 sech(u1 )
where u1 = η1 + A12 /2 and u2 = η2 + A12 /2. As y → ±∞, × 2k1 k2
,
1− (sech(u1 ) sech(u2 ) − tanh(u1 ) tanh(u2 ))
the solitons become well separated. The denominator now sim- k1 +k2
2 2
(41)
plifies and for k1 > k2 > 0, we can put the equation (34) in the which may be reduced to
form
2 2
X= sech(u1 ± δ) − sech(u2 ∓ δ), (42)
2 2 k1 k2
X = sech(u1 ∓ δ) + sech(u2 ± δ), (35)
k1 k2 where the choice of sign refers to t → ∓∞. The solution takes
where the choice of sign refers to t → ∓∞ and, the form of two components, a soliton and an antisoliton with
a phase shift that is due to their interaction at t = 0. The phase
2k1 k2 portrait of the loop and antiloop soliton is given by Fig. 5.
tanh(δ) = . (36)
k12 + k22
3. Summary
The solution has the form of two solitons with a phase shift that
is due to their interaction at t = 0, and is qualitatively similar to In this Letter, we have investigated and reduced some NL-
the two-soliton interaction for the Korteweg–de Vries equation. CDEE to a (1 + 1)-NLEE, the SWSPE, which approximates
This justifies the interpretation of the previous loops as solitons. solutions of Maxwell’s equations describing the propagation
The graphical representation of this phase shift is done in Fig. 3 of ultra short optical pulses in nonlinear media. This under-
in the case of dissimilar amplitudes between solitons. lying relationship between these two equations has helped us
 V.K. Kuetche et al. / Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 665–669
Fig. 6. Three-loop interaction with k1 = 0.5 and k2 = 0.3 and k3 = 0.2.
Fig. 7. Loop–antiloop interaction with k1 = 0.5 and k2 = 0.3 and k3 = −0.2.
constructing the N -loop soliton solution to the coupled equa-
tions. The physical interpretation of this multivalued solution is
clearly shown in Ref. [12].
As a result, we find that when the amplitudes of the loop
solitons are dissimilar, the small loop travels the large one be-
fore being shifted. On contrary, when the amplitudes are closely
the same, the solitons exchange their amplitudes without any
overlapping. This result thereby suggests the existence of some
critical value of the ratio of amplitudes of the two interacting
solitons. It well agrees with some other works found in the lit-
erature [18].
669
Moreover, following the asymptotic behavior of the two-
loop soliton given by Eq. (35), it is possible to find an ap-
proached form of the three-loop soliton by writing
2 2 2
X= sech(g1 ) + sech(g2 ) + sech(g3 ), (43)
k1 k2 k2
with
2 2 2
ξ =y− tanh(g1 ) − tanh(g2 ) − tanh(g3 ), (44)
k1 k2 k3
where g1 = u1 ± δ12 ± δ13 , g2 = u2 ∓ δ12 ± δ23 and g3 = u3 ∓
δ23 ∓ δ13 . We note that the choice of sign refers to t → ∓∞,
and the shifts δij , i, j = 1, 2, 3 are given by
2ki kj
δij = , (45)
ki2 + kj2
with ki > kj > 0. As an illustration, Fig. 6 shows an interac-
tion between three-loop solitons. The small soliton of k1 = 0.5
travels the two other of k2 = 0.3 and k3 = 0.2, such that they
overlap to a single loop soliton. This overlapping is not seen in
Fig. 7 in the case consisting of two loops and one antiloop with
k1 = 0.5, k2 = 0.3 and k3 = −0.2, respectively. This approxi-
mation procedure may be generalized to the scattering behavior
of N -loop solitons.
References
[1] N.J. Zabusky, M.D. Kruskal, Phys. Rev. Lett. 15 (1965) 240.
[2] R.L. Anderson, N.H. Ibragimov, Lie–Bäcklund Transformation in Appli-
cations, SIAM Stud. Appl. Math., Philadelphia, 1979.
[3] R. Hermann, The Geometry of Nonlinear Differential Equations, Bäck-
lund Transformation, and Solitons. Part A, Interdisciplinary Mathematics,
Math. Sci. Press, Brookline, 1976.
[4] H.T. Davis, Introduction to Nonlinear Differential and Integral Equations,
Dover, New York, 1962.
[5] P.D. Lax, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 21 (1968) 467.
[6] P.J. Olver, J. Math. Phys. 18 (1977) 1212.
[7] B. Fuchssteiner, A.S. Fokas, Physica D 4 (1981) 47.
[8] A.S. Fokas, M. Ablowitz, The Inverse Scattering Transform for Multidi-
mensional (2 + 1) Problems, Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer, Berlin,
1983.
[9] K. Konno, H. Oono, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 63 (1994) 377.
[10] V.P. Kotlyarov, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 63 (1994) 3535.
[11] K. Konno, H. Kakuhata, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 64 (1995) 2707.
[12] H. Kakuhata, K. Konno, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 68 (1999) 757.
[13] T. Schäfer, C.E. Wayne, Physica D 196 (2004) 90;
J.C. Brunelli, J. Math. Phys. 46 (2005) 123507;
J.C. Brunelli, Phys. Lett. A 353 (2006) 475.
[14] H. Kakuhata, K. Konno, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 301 (1997) L401.
[15] A. Sakovich, S. Sakovich, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 74 (2005) 239.
[16] A. Sakovich, S. Sakovich, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 (2006) L361.
[17] G.L. Lamb Jr., Elements of Soliton Theory, Wiley, New York, 1980.
[18] V.O. Vakhnenko, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 25 (1992) 4181;
V.O. Vakhnenko, Ukr. J. Phys. 42 (1997) 104;
V.O. Vakhnenko, J. Math. Phys. 40 (1999) 2011;
V.O. Vakhnenko, E.J. Parkes, Nonlinearity 11 (1998) 1457.