SIAM J. APPL. MATH.

(C) 1990 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. 1580-1592, December 1990 005
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ON SERIES EXPANSIONS GIVING CLOSED-FORM SOLUTIONS OF

KORTEWEG-DEVRIES-LIKE EQUATIONS*
MARK W. COFFEY?

Abstract. Korteweg-deVries (KdV)-like equations with higher-degree nonlinearity are solved by a direct
algebraic technique due to Hereman et al. [J. Phys. A, 19 (1986), pp. 607-628]. For two KdV-like equations,
one with fifth-degree nonlinearity, the other a combined KdV and mKdV equation, for particular choices
of the coefficients of the nonlinear terms, the kink and antikink solutions found by Dey are recovered.
Furthermore, soliton solutions of the combined KdV and mKdV equation are found for all values of the
coefficients. Closed-form solutions for the Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV equation are also
developed. Applications of the solutions of these equations in quantum field theory, plasma physics, and
solid-state physics are mentioned. The Hereman et al. method is illustrated and slightly extended and this
direct series method is briefly compared to Hirota’s method.

Key words. KdV-like equations, nonlinear waves

AMS(MOS) subject classifications. 76B25, 65M

Introduction. In this paper we will be concerned with certain Korteweg-deVries
(KdV)-like equations possessing kink-type or other closed-form solutions. We treat a
KdV-like equation with fifth-degree nonlinearity, a combined KdV and modified KdV
(mKdV) equation, and the Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV equation.
These equations arise in a variety of physical contexts. They have applications in
quantum field theory, plasma physics, and solid-state physics [7], [15], [16], [18], [19],
[24], [27], [28]. In plasma physics, soliton solutions for the electrostatic potential, for
example, can be used to find the total pressure function [16], [19]. In quantum field
theory, kink solutions can be used to calculate energy and momentum flow and
topological charge [7], 15], [24]. In solid-state physics dispersion relations from soliton
solutions are important for finding fundamental quantities such as the group velocity
and the density of states. The combined KdV and mKdV equation studied in 2 can
be seen as arising from a nonlinear lattice problem, with anharmonic forces binding
the particles [28]. This equation has been used to explain the propagation of heat
pulses through single crystals of sodium fluoride [18], [27].
The technique we use to solve these KdV-like equations is due to Hereman et al.
[11]. By this method, solutions are developed as a series in real exponential functions
which physically corresponds to mixing of elementary solutions of the linear part due
to nonlinearity. The method of Hereman et al. [11] falls into the category of direct
solution methods for nonlinear (NL) partial differential equations (PDEs). This method
is currently restricted to traveling-wave solutions. In addition, depending on the number
of NL terms in the PDE with arbitrary numerical coefficients, it is sometimes necessary
to specialize to particular values of the velocity in order to find closed-form solutions.
(This is because a large number of NL terms implies that the resulting recursion
relations, even after scaling, will be parameter dependent.) This point will be illustrated
in the examples to follow.
On the other hand, the Hereman et al. series method does give a systematic means
of developing recursion relations. Any finite number of the coefficients in the series
can be found "manually" or with the aid of symbolic manipulation packages such as
MACSYMA, Mathematica, REDUCE, Scratchpad, or SMP [20], 10], [21], [29], [25],
* Received by the editors June 28, 1989; accepted for publication December 18, 1989.
t Department of Physics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.
1580
 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS 1581

[30]. Moreover, in [11] a general method for solving the resulting recursion relations
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when they do not depend on a parameter is presented. Therefore, whenever the infinite
series can be summed, a closed-form solution of the NL PDE is obtained.
An arbitrary coefficient in the series expansion for the traveling wave form leads
to an arbitrary phase shift A in the soliton solution u. In our examples the polynomial
P(n) multiplying an in the recursion relation is simply P(n) n 2-1 or P( n n( n 2-1 ),
n >-1 so that a is the arbitrary coefficient.
The Hereman et al. direct series method can be used to solve both dissipative
and nondissipative equations [11]. The NL PDEs considered here are nondissi-
pative in the sense that their linear part gives a dispersion relation with only even
powers of the wavenumber. We take solutions of the linear equation to be of the form
exp [-K(v)(x-vt)] where K(v) is a function of the velocity v. The velocity is assumed
constant but in general is related to the wave amplitude. It is from the solutions of
the linear part that the solution of the full NL PDE is synthesized. With wavenumber
K, the dispersion relation to K(v)v gives the angular frequency.
In [7] Dey considered certain KdV-like PDEs with higher-degree nonlinearity.
By direct integration he found kink (or domain wall) solutions for particular choices
of the coefficients of the nonlinear terms. By using a direct algebraic method 11] we
demonstrate an alternative means of obtaining these solutions. Of the four equations
considered by Dey, we treat the two equations for which relatively little was known
about their conservation laws [7]. The recursion relations that we develop in 1 and
2 allow for the possibility that other kink or antikink solutions can be found for other
choices of the coefficients a,/3, integration constant kl, and constant term in the series
expansion Cl. Moreover, we show in 2 how soliton solutions can be found by the
direct series method for the combined KdV and mKdV equation for all values of the
velocity.
The Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV equation possesses infinitely
many conservation laws, Bicklund transformations, and soliton solutions [2], [8], 12].
This equation will be discussed and solved in 3. A special case of the Calogero-
Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV equation is also solved in an Appendix by a bilinear
transformation method similar to Hirota’s [17] and we briefly compare the series
method and Hirota’s method there.
In addition to illustrating the capability of the direct series method, the examples
provided here bring out at least two unusual features. In 1 a series solution is obtained
whose coefficients {an}_l depend asymptotically on n as rt -1/2. Such a dependence
is unlike that of any of the examples in [11]. In 3 a slight extension of the Hereman
et al. method is made in connection with multiple integrations of nonlinear terms.
I. Particular solution of a KdV-like equation with fifth-degree nonlinearity. In this
section we consider the equation
(1.1) blt k- O (1-k- fltl2) tl2 tlx + Ytlxxx O, a, "y > O,
which is derivable from a Lagrangian density

OxO,+-d
where 0 is a potential function, 0x u [7], as can be seen from the Euler-Lagrange
field equation

(1.2b)
Ox 2 00xx
- Ox O0 Ot OOt O0
=0.
 1582 MARK W. COFFEY

The corresponding Hamiltonian density is

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(1.2c) Y otO
O0,
1
6
ii4 ( + g /ii2) +
1 1
yIIx2

-
where the canonical momentum density II =-0/00, 1/20,. Equation (1.1) becomes the
modified KdV equation when/3 0. It is known that (1.1) is integrable (has infinitely
many conservation laws) if and only if/3 =0 [13], [26]. As reported in [7] only two
conservation laws are known for (1.1) when/3 0.
Seeking traveling wave solutions of (1.1) in the form u(x, t) 4(), where
x vt, gives
1.3) v4)e + a 1 +/34 2) 4) 2 be + ybee 0.
Integrating (1.3) once, we have

+ 3 +_cfl es + v,,
a
(1.4) -re k
where kl is a constant, which hereafter we set to zero. Dey’s solution of (1.1) was
found by integrating (1.4) twice more. Instead, we employ the approach of Hereman
et al. 11 and first find the solution of the linear part of (1.4) in terms of real exponential
functions. The linear equation yqee-vO=O gives O=e =K#, K(v)=x/-y. These
solutions are confirmed by direct integration of the linear part of (1.3):

,()=lx/2k2v-k2 sinh (+ x/-/y (+k3))-klV

where k2 and k are constants. In preparation for our series solution we set 4 rt4
so that

+ + + 0.
T
We choose the scaling v c72/3 SO that
(1.5) _/.) _11_ )3 _{_ O. 1D(5 _{_ ,/, 0
where o-1 (9fl/5a)v. Equation (1.5) may be interpreted physically as an equation of
motion for a particle of mass y under the action of a nonlinear force. In this interpreta-
:
tion we identify 4 as a space coordinate and as a time coordinate.
We define gl()= 1/g2()= e -Ke= g() and let

(1.6) ()= E a,g"()

n=l

where the expansion coefficients {a,}l are to be determined. It is possible to include

a constant in the expansion (1.6) for 4, hence for 4. One way to do this is to write
4 el+ and substitute in (1.4). The resulting equation will have a zero constant
term provided that c1=0 or that cl2__.. (-l+x/i+4r1)/2r1. We will continue our
discussion for Cl 0 and remark on the other choices for Cl after a particular value of
o-1 is specified. Substituting (1.6) into (1.5) yields the recursion relation (RR) for n => 5:
n--1 m--1 n--1 m--1 l--1 j--1
(1.7) (n 2-1)a"+ a,_,a,,,_lal+oh a,_,,a,_lal_aj_kak =0.
=2 l= =4 1=3 j=2 k=
 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS 1583

Along with (1.7) we find a2-0, a3---a3/2 3, and a4--0. The arbitrary coefficient
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By applying the RR, we find the first few coefficients to be

al we take to be positive.

--
given by
1
as=--(3a3al +olas)=--i-(8o’l-3),
a a6=0,

1 al
a7 [3 (a 21aS+ala)+5o’lala314 5_ (8o.1 1)"
(It appears that a2,/1 contains a polynomial of degree In/2] in rl.) We have written
a simple FORTRAN program which allows us to calculate such expressions for the
higher-order terms. For example,
9
1 al
[3aTa2 + 6ala3a5 + crl(5asal4 + 10a32a13)]
a9--
1228--- (32’2- 48crl + 3).
We have only minimal experience with symbolic manipulation packages such as
MACSYMA [20], [21], Mathematica [29], REDUCE [10], Scratchpad [25], and SMP
[30], but such packages appear to be adaptable for use on RRs such as (1.7). Symbolic
manipulation programs have already been used to perform Painlev6 analysis and look
for symmetries of NL PDEs (e.g., [21]-[23]). In this regard, these and similar programs
have the potential of providing high-order series approximations to NL ordinary
differential equations (ODEs). Furthermore, symbolic manipulation packages, when
applied to RRs such as (1.7), may be used to test conjectures of the general form of
the {a,}. The general solution of the RR (1.7) for arbitrary values of the parameter r
(the scaled velocity) is not readily apparent but computer programs may be used to
determine any finite number of the expansion coefficients.
To recover the result of Dey [7], we take or1 =-3/16, meaning that a and/3 are
related by/3 =-5a/48v. Then
3 15a
a a, a7
3! 29’
and, in general,
a2n O,
2n+l
(1.8) (-1)n(2n- 1)!! al
a2n+ n 1, 2, 3,
n! 23n
where (2n-1)!!= (2n-1)(2n-3)... 5.3.1. This means that in the second term in
(1.7), for example, runs over only odd values and m over only even values. Equation
(1.8) will also hold for n =0 if we define (-1)!!= 1. Substituting (1.8) into (1.6) gives
2n+l
(1.9) (sc)-- 2 apgP()--2 2 (-1)(2n- 1)!! alg(:
n! 2" 2
p--1 =0

Now, by the binomial theorem [1, p. 297] or [9, p. 21],

1 (-1)1(21 1)!! x21,
(1.10)
=
x/1 + x 1=o l! 21 Ixl < 1
Therefore
edg
(1.11) b(sc) x/l+
dg
 1584 MARK W. COFFEY

where d =-all2. This p,rovides a closed form for 4, convergent for dg < 1, i.e., >
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In d/K. By expanding 4 in a series in powers of g2 1/gl e : we obtain an analogous

closed form for <ln d/K. Then, (1.11) holds for all -oe<:<oe. Equation (1.11)
may be written in several forms. Using
g2 4e-K -A
(2(:) 1 4d2 =
+ d2g e/+A + e -:-A
where the phase shift A =-ln d gives
(1.12) 2(:) 211 -tanh (K+ A)].
By using the scaling 4 + x/3v/a ch we have

(1.13) u(x,t)=+
-I t 1-tanh V(x_vt)+A tl
1/2
(v -5c/48/3).
Since only odd terms in u are involved in (1.1), -u is also a solution. When the minus
sign is taken in (1.13), u(x, t) is the kink solution found in [7]. The presence of the
square root in (1.13) indicates that the solution is not free from movable branch point
singularities. This is to be expected on the basis of the general theory for second-order
NL ODEs [14] since the degree of nonlinearity in (1.5) exceeds three. These results
are related to the fact that (1.1) does not pass the strong form of the Painlev6 test for
t 0 [3].
The type of solution (1.13) resembles that found in /(6 field theory [15], [24].
The condition/3 =-5c/48v means that the corresponding classical potential

U4 Og J U6
1 V Og
(1.14) V u U2
2y 12y 30y
has three absolute minima, at u 2= 0, 12v/o.,
We briefly comment on physical quantities derivable from the kink or antikink
solution (1.13). A total conserved momentum corresponds to

P= Ildx= udx
2
and a total conserved energy is

E
2
u dx=61n2x/--/o.
However, a thorough discussion of energy and momentum flow requires a consideration
of the form of the stress tensor for Lagrangian densities such as (1.2a) depending on
second-order derivatives of the field variable (e.g., [5, p. 259]). Another physical
quantity is the topological charge Q given by [15]

=- =-

-
Q ux dx Eu(x oe) u(x -oe)].
Returning to the expansion of h including a nonzero constant term, with r1=
2 4 2 4
-3/16, we have Cl 3, 4. For el =3, from (1.4) we obtain

(1.15)
4
3
)( -t-
1
)2
3
)(3 :
5
)(4 3
--i- + =0 y
and for C 2 --4 we obtain

(1.16)
 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS

Equations (1.15) and (1.16) both contain quadratic and quartic terms in . 1585

We will
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not pursue these equations further here other than to note that they have linear parts
different from (1.4) and that (1.15) has a linear part solved by complex exponential
functions. The reason for this type of linear part seems to be related to the phase space
"portrait" of (1.15). We briefly remark on this point in the summary of the paper.
An expression for the degree 6 of an as a polynomial in n is given in 11 ]. We have
(1.17) 6=(A -H+ 1-A)/(H- 1)
where A is the degree of the polynomial P(n) multiplying an in the RR, H is the

- H
highest degree of nonlinearity, and A-i=l/, /i being the order of the derivative
associated with each th factor in a NL term in an equation such as (1.5). From equations
(1.5), (1.7), we have P(n) n 1, A 2, H-- 5, A -0, so that t -1/2. We compare
the degree to that resulting from (1.8) for an for n odd and large. By the relation
(2n 1)!!- (2n 1)!/(n 1)! 2 n-1 and the use of Stirling’s approximation we find that
for large n, an+ behaves as n -/. So although an+ contains the nonrational function
of n, (2n- 1)!!/n !, instead of a simple polynomial in n, its asymptotic rate of growth
agrees with & The asymptotic dependence n -/ is unlike that in any of the examples
in [11].
Finally, we remark that a procedure similar to that used in this section could be
used to solve (1.1) with a higher-degree nonlinearity. For example, if a coefficient u
is added to the uu term, then a seventh-degree nonlinearity will result and the same
series method of solution can be used.
2. Particular solution of a combined KdV and mKdV equation. Here we consider
the equation
(2.1) u+a(l+flu)uu+yu=O, a, y>O,
which is derivable from a Lagrangian density
2
(2.2) -OxOt +a(l +1/2Ox)03 1yOxx
__1

where 0x u. Equation (2.1) combines the nonlinearities of the KdV and mKdV
equations. It has an infinite number of conservation laws, N-soliton solutions, and an
auto-Bicklund transformation (e.g., 19], [28]). Various forms of (2.1) have been used
in plasma and solid-state physics and quantum field theory [7], [16], [18], [19], [27],
[28]. For example, in plasma physics, (2.1) describes the small-amplitude propagation
of ion acoustic waves without Landau damping [16].
For th(sc) u(x, t), =-x-vt, in (2.1) we have
(2.3) -vth + a(1 +/3th) thth + yth =0.

__
Upon integration of (2.3) we have

(2.4) -vgb
+- b +--- th +
2
yb kl.
We will take the constant kl to be zero. The linear part of (2.4) is the same as that of
(1.4). With the scaling ch=(2v/a), we have
(2.5) )( -Jl-/)(2 0"2/)13 ’/c: 0
where o-2--(4/3/3a)v. As for (1.1), we set g(:) e +’/’b-7/re and let

(2.6) 4() 2 angn()

n=l
 1586 MARK W. COFFEY

The RR we then obtain on substitution of (2.6) into (2.5) is, for n->_ 3,
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n--1 n--1 m--1

(2.7) (n 1)a, + Y an_lal -I- 0"2 E E an-mam-lal O.
/=1 m=2 /=1

,
We also have al arbitrary which we take to be positive and a2 =-a21/3. Interestingly,
(2.7) is similar to the RR for the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation for the case that

-- --
& cl + cl # 0 1 1 ]. The first few coefficients are given by
al
a3 -y 0"2 a4
-i 02

a (0-2
a5
20
0-2+ 2) a6= 02+
We take 0"2 -2/9, i.e.,/3 -a/6v, in order to recover the result of Dey [7]. However,
in principle, the RR (2.7) is solvable for all values of the parameter 0"2. Indeed, below
we show how the PDE (2.1) can be transformed so that soliton solutions can be found
for any value of 0"2. For 0"2 -2/9 the first few coefficients are a3 a31/9, a4 -a/27,
a5 a 1/8 1 and, in general,
(_ 1)n-1 aln
(2.8) a,, n _>- 1.
3,_
(The result of applying (1.17) with A =2, H =3, A=0, is 6=0, in agreement with
(2.8).) Therefore
3dg al
(2.9) 4(:)=-3 =1

Again, this expression is valid for all -c < <

3d e -K
l+dg’
Then .
3 e -KU2+A
dp=
1 + d e -K eKU2-A+ e -KU2+A
(.1o)

-. - (1)
A-----In d
2
so that

(x- vt) A v=
ce
Such a solution resembles that of/)2((/) 1)2 field theory [7]. The kink solution (2.11)
appears to be a limiting case of the known soliton solution [28].
If we include a constant term in the expansion for b by way of b c1+ 4, we
find upon substitution in (2.5), that cl 0 or C (-1 + x/1 + 40"2)/20"2 With 0"2 -2/9,
the latter yields Cl 3 or The choice Cl 3 gives an equation for differing from
(2.5) only in the sign of the term. This equation has the solution (2.8) without the
alternation in sign, yielding for

(2.12)
The choice

(2.13)
c
= 1-coth

gives the equation

1 23
=+3.
 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS 1587

so that now the quadratic term is missing. Equation (2.13) has a linear part yqee +1/2vq 0
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which is solvable in terms of complex rather than real exponential functions, g()=
exp (+ix/v/2y ). With Y
,,=1 a,,g" the resulting RR is

(2.14) (n 2 1)a,,+,,,=2 a,,_ mam _tat 0 (n >- 3).

=1

The RR (2.14) has the solution

(2.15) a2n =0, a2n+l al

which can be used to find the corresponding closed form for 4"
(2.16) b()= l+x/sec +A
As mentioned above, the restriction of 0"2 to the value -2/9 is not essential. In
fact, with the aid of the simple linear transformation u w- 1/2/3 we can find closed-

- -
form soliton solutions for all values of the velocity, assuming the boundary condition
w 0 as x +. By applying this transformation to (2.1), the PDE for w is a modified
KdV equation with only one NL term:

-
(2.17) w,-- Wx + aW2Wx + ywxxx O.

By letting w(x, t) ck(x vt) 4() and integrating once, we have

(.a v+
+- 3+ ee 0.

The linear part of equation (2.18) gives K2(v)= (v + a/4/3)/3’. With the scaling
rt =(33"/a)K2(v), we have
2

1
(2.19) _q + 3+ K2(O b:: 0.

By using an expansion of the form (2.6) we obtain a RR as in (2.14) (without the 4/9
factor multiplying the sums) whose solution is immediate. We then obtain
(2.20) 4(:) x/ sech (K(v)+ A), A--= -ln d, d al/2X/,
which leads to

(2.21) u(x,t)= x/ l+sech (x-vt)+A -1

The solution (2.21) is to be compared with the single soliton solution found by Wadati
[28] by direct integration. The direct series solution (2.21) of (2.1) was achieved because
(2.17) had only one NL term so that its resulting RR had no parameters. Finally, we
mention that Wadati [28] has shown how (2.1) may be bilinearized, allowing N-soliton
solutions to be constructed by Hirota’s method.
3. Particular solution of the Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV
equation. In this section we consider in detail the equation
(3.1) lgt + U,,xx eU3x Fu, O, e, F constants
 1588 MARK W. COFFEY

and discuss the solution of its completely integrable generalizations. Equation (3.1) is
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a special case of the Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV equation

(3.2a) u, + uxxx- eu3 F(u)ux 0

where the function F solves [2], [8], [12].
(3.2b) F’"(u)=SeF’(u).
Equation (3.2) also includes as special cases (e =0) the KdV and mKdV equations.
Calogero and Degasperis [2] found that (3.2) is solvable by the spectral transform.
Equation (3.2) was found by Fokas by looking for certain third-order equations
possessing infinitely many generalized symmetries. It was found that (3.2) admits a
Lie-BScklund operator and has a recursion operator, allowing a Lax pair formulation,
so that (3.2) is integrable [8]. The subject of the existence of a pseudopotential for
equation (3.2a) has been considered in detail in [4] where it was found that for a
scalar pseudopotential to exist necessarily (3.2b) must hold.
It is known that (3.2) can be mapped to a mKdV equation by a special Miura-type
transformation [6]. Hence equations (3.1), (3.2) have infinitely many conservation
laws, B/icklund transformations, and soliton solutions. Furthermore, in the sense of
solving an equation of the form (2.17) and inverting the Miura-type transformation,
(3.2) can be solved by the direct series method. Writing the function F(u)=
A exp (2x/- u)+ B exp (-2x/e u)+ C for constants A, B, and C, we will here concen-
trate on the simple explicit case that A B 0, C F, i.e., equation (3.1). This simple
case provides a useful illustration of integrating series expansions in the Hereman et
al. method and a convenient comparison to solution by a Hirota-type method.
Proceeding to solve (3.1) by the direct series method, by letting b(sc) u(x, t),
x vt, we have
(3.3) -( v + F) th + bee eb 0.
Integrating (3.3) we obtain

(3.4) -(v + F)b + b- e

fb dsc kl
where kl is a constant which we take to be zero. Equation (3.4) seems to correspond
physically to an equation of motion for a particle of unit mass under the action of a
nonlocal, nonlinear, velocity-dependent force. The linear part of (3.4) gives q(sc) e -K
where K 2-- v + F. We choose the scaling b 74, T] 2-- 1/e and let

(3.5) a,,g"(), g() e -u.

Next we substitute (3.5) into (3.4) and do the integration on the cubic term. This means
that we integrate (3.3) from sc to infinity and assume that 4 and its first three derivatives
vanish at infinity. (Alternatively, we could solve (3.3) by series.) Although Hereman
et al. [11] only considered multiple differentiations of series such as (3.5), clearly
generalizations to multiple integrations are possible.
As a result of performing the above operations we obtain the following RR for
n>=3
m-l(n-m)
(3.6) (n- 1)a (m-1)la_,am_al=O
m=2 1=1
 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS 1589

with al arbitrary, a2=0. We see that multiplying (3.6) through by n gives a RR

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equivalent to that which we would obtain by solving (3.3) by series. The general
coefficient is given by
2n+l
al
(3.7) a2n+l-- a2n 0, n=>0.
(2n + 1)23n,
Using (1.17) for 6 applied to the series form of (3.3), we have H =3, A =3, A= 3.
Then 6 =-1, in agreement with a2,+1. From (3.7) we have

(3.8) 4(:)-- 2 3/2 n

(rig)Z"+’
=o (2n + 1)

where d =-a/23/2. By using [1, p. 299] (or [9, p. 44]) we have

(3.9) () / In ( )l+dg
1-dg
Idgl< 1.
Then, setting the phase shift A =-1/2 In d,

By using the scaling for th,

(3.11) u(x, t)= /ln [coth ( + (x-vt)+A

2
The result (3.10) is valid for the interval ((o, ) where :o=
(l/K) In d(al >0). Further-
more, 4 as given by (3.10) and its first three derivatives vanish at infinity.
The singular soliton solution (3.11) is analogous to those of the mKdV equation.
Other soliton solutions of (3.1) could be obtained by allowing a constant in expansion
(3.5) and a nonzero constant k in (3.4). Alternatively, we see that the introduction of
a potential W=ux in (3.1) leads to an equation like (2.17), namely, W,-FWx-
3 e W2 W + Wxx O. In a similar way, the special case of (3.2), with e 1 / 8, ut + Uxxx +
u+usin u=0 can be solved by the Miura-type transformation [6], [8] if=
-u-(2//i) (exp(iu/2)+iexp(-iu/2)) which gives fft-ff+ff2ffx+ff=0,
again a mKdV equation.
,
Direct verification of the solution (3.10) is illuminating. If we let 4() a lnf(:)
and substitute into (3.3) written for where a is a constant, then the choice a
eliminates terms containing f,3 in the differential equation for f The resulting equation
+
for f is
(3.12) -K2ff’ + f’"f 3f’f" O.
Equation (3.12) is bilinear and as such is reminiscent of equations which arise when
Hirota’s transformation method [17] is applied to nonlinear evolution equations. The
observation that f()=coth ((K/2):+ A) satisfies (3.12) completes the verification of
the solution (3.10) and hence (3.11). Further comments on Hirota’s method and the
solution of (3.12) by a similar technique are contained in the Appendix.
4. Summary. We have investigated three KdV-like equations for closed-form
solutions by using a series expansion technique due to Hereman et al. [11]. By this
method, solutions were developed as a series in real exponential functions which
physically corresponds to mixing of elementary solutions of the linear part due to
nonlinearity. By using this technique, kink and antikink solutions were found for a
 1590 MARK W. COFFEY

KdV-like equation with fifth-degree nonlinearity and a combined KdV and mKdV
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equation for restricted values of the coefficients of the nonlinear terms. These solutions
are in agreement with those found by Dey [7]. Furthermore, we found soliton solutions
of the combined KdV and mKdV equation for all values of the coefficients. Additional
particular solutions of the KdV-like equation with fifth-degree nonlinearity may be
found for other choices of the coefficients of the nonlinear terms or from (1.15) and
(1.16) where nonzero constant terms were included in the expansion. We hope to
investigate these possibilities in a future publication.
Closed-form solutions of the Calogero-Degasperis-Fokas modified mKdV
equation [2], [8] via a Miura-type transformation were described. For a special case
(3.1) of this equation, a ln-type solution was found and the integration of series for
nonlinear terms illustrated. Equation (3.1) was also solved by bilinearization and
Hirota’s method, and this alternative approach sheds some light on the similarities of
the two methods. Namely, parallels exist in the form of the recursion relations and in
how the linear part is solved and how the mixing of the nonlinear terms is manifest.
Applications of the solutions of these equations in quantum field theory, plasma
physics, and solid-state physics were mentioned.
A topic which we have recently investigated is the phase-space structure of (1.5),
(2.5), and (3.3). In this approach the nonlinear second-order ordinary differential
equation (ODE) is written as two coupled first-order equations. That is, the original
ODE is recast as a first-order autonomous system. It is found that the constant terms
in the series expansion for 4’ are related to the singular points of the vector field in
phase space.
c
For (1.5) with =4/3 there corresponds a center in phase space so that there
can be a closed orbit and periodic solution. The other choices for Cl give saddle points.
These results help to explain that the linear part of (1.15) is solved by complex
exponential functions. The solution of (1.15) will then be built up from the harmonics
of these elementary solutions. Similar results hold for (2.5) and (3.3). Details on the
phase-space approach will be given elsewhere [4a].
Appendix. Here we take up the solution of (3.12) which is a bilinearization of
(3.3). We use a method similar to Hirota’s [17]. We solve the equation
(3.12) -K2ff’+ f’"f -3f’f"=O
by expanding f formally in powers of an arbitrary parameter e as

(A1) Z Le"
f= n=0
where fo =- 1. By substituting (A1) into (3.12) we obtain

(A2) 2
n=O m=O
KZfn-mfm-an-mam
+ f" f 3f’-,,,f"m]e" 0.
By equating separately the coefficients of the powers of to zero and noting the
simplifications arising for m 0 and m n we.obtain the RR
n-1
(A3) f’ K 2f,. 2 (- K 2f. _,,,f,,, + f,,,,_,,f,, 3f’,, mf ).
m=l

The left-hand side of (A3) is the linear part of (3.3) and the right-hand side represents
the mixing of the nonlinear terms. The equations (A3) have a solution

(A4) f 2j_---7 e ,, j _-> l

 ON SERIES SOLUTIONS OF KdV-LIKE EQUATIONS 1591

with p +K which may be verified directly. So by (A1) we have

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(15) f(:) 1 + 2 1+
l"
1= e-p/2 x/ ep/2
If we set the phase shift A =5 In (e/2) we then have
(A6) f() -coth (/e+
Acknowledgments. I thank the referees for their comments and suggestions which
have helped to improve the paper. Special thanks goes to one of the referees who
checked key steps with MACSYMA, thereby showing the ease of applying this tool
to the type of RRs developed here. I would like to thank the ISU Physics Depament
for its suppo.

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