This volume contains the proceedings of the AMS Special Session on Spectral Calculus and Quasilinear Partial Differential Equations and the AMS Special Session on PDE Analysis on Fluid Flows, which were held in January 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. These two sessions shared the underlying theme of the analysis aspect of evolutionary PDEs and mathematical physics. The articles address the latest trends and perspectives in the area of nonlinear dispersive equations and fluid flows. The topics mainly focus on using state-of-the-art methods and techniques to investigate problems of depth and richness arising in quantum mechanics, general relativity, and fluid dynamics.

The field of nonlinear dispersive waves has developed enormously since the work of Stokes, Boussinesq and Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) in the nineteenth century. In the 1960s, researchers developed effective asymptotic methods for deriving nonlinear wave equations, such as the KdV equation, governing a broad class of physical phenomena that admit special solutions including those commonly known as solitons. This book describes the underlying approximation techniques and methods for finding solutions to these and other equations. The concepts and methods covered include wave dispersion, asymptotic analysis, perturbation theory, the method of multiple scales, deep and shallow water waves, nonlinear optics including fiber optic communications, mode-locked lasers and dispersion-managed wave phenomena. Most chapters feature exercise sets, making the book suitable for advanced courses or for self-directed learning. Graduate students and researchers will find this an excellent entry to a thriving area at the intersection of applied mathematics, engineering and physical science.

This book brings together a comprehensive account of major developments in the theory and applications of nonlinear dispersive waves, nonlinear water waves, KdV and nonlinear Schrodinger equations, Davey-Stewartson equation, Benjamin-Ono equation and nonlinear instability phenomena. In order to give the book a wider readership, chapters have been written by internationally known researchers who have made significant contributions to nonlinear waves and nonlinear instability. This volume will be invaluable to applied mathematicians, physicists, geophysicists, oceanographers, engineering scientists, and to anyone interested in nonlinear dynamics.

Presents in a systematic and unified manner the ray method, in its various forms, for studying nonlinear wave propagation in situations of physical interest, essentially fluid dynamics and plasma physics.

This self-contained set of lectures addresses a gap in the literature by providing a systematic link between the theoretical foundations of the subject matter and cutting-edge applications in both geophysical fluid dynamics and nonlinear optics. Rogue and shock waves are phenomena that may occur in the propagation of waves in any nonlinear dispersive medium. Accordingly, they have been observed in disparate settings – as ocean waves, in nonlinear optics, in Bose-Einstein condensates, and in plasmas. Rogue and dispersive shock waves are both characterized by the development of extremes: for the former, the wave amplitude becomes unusually large, while for the latter, gradients reach extreme values. Both aspects strongly influence the statistical properties of the wave propagation and are thus considered together here in terms of their underlying theoretical treatment. This book offers a self-contained graduate-level text intended as both an introduction and reference guide for a new generation of scientists working on rogue and shock wave phenomena across a broad range of fields in applied physics and geophysics.

This volume explores a number of exciting developments in the field of nonlinear dispersive waves with a particular focus on waves arising in the ocean. Chapters are based on talks given at the workshop “Nonlinear Dispersive Waves” that was held at University College Cork, Ireland, on April 24-25, 2023. Specific topics covered include: The recovery of steady rotational wave surface profiles; Hamiltonian models for the propagation of long gravity waves; Waves propagating at the surface of a fluid covered by floating ice plates; The use of spherical coordinates to describe arctic ocean waves; Boundary value problems related to the Muskat Problem. Nonlinear Dispersive Waves will appeal to researchers as well as graduate students interested in this active area of research.