The Generalized Dirichlet to Neumann Map for the KdV Equation on the Half-Line

Abstract For the two versions of the KdV equation on the positive half-line an initial-boundary value problem is well posed if one prescribes an initial condition plus either one boundary condition if qt and qxxx have the same sign (KdVI) or two boundary conditions if qt and qxxx have opposite sign (KdVII). Constructing the generalized Dirichlet to Neumann map for the above problems means characterizing the unknown boundary values in terms of the given initial and boundary conditions. For example, if {q(x,0),q(0,t)} and {q(x,0),q(0,t),qx(0,t)} are given for the KdVI and KdVII equations, respectively, then one must construct the unknown boundary values {qx(0,t),qxx(0,t)} and {qxx(0,t)}, respectively. We show that this can be achieved without solving for q(x,t) by analysing a certain “global relation” which couples the given initial and boundary conditions with the unknown boundary values, as well as with the function Φ(t)(t,k), where Φ(t) satisfies the t-part of the associated Lax pair evaluated at x=0. The analysis of the global relation requires the construction of the so-called Gelfand–Levitan–Marchenko triangular representation for Φ(t). In spite of the efforts of several investigators, this problem has remained open. In this paper, we construct the representation for Φ(t) for the first time and then, by employing this representation, we solve explicitly the global relation for the unknown boundary values in terms of the given initial and boundary conditions and the function Φ(t). This yields the unknown boundary values in terms of a nonlinear Volterra integral equation. We also discuss the implications of this result for the analysis of the long t-asymptotics, as well as for the numerical integration of the KdV equation.