A Backlund transformation and the inverse scattering transform method for the generalised Vakhnenko equation

A Backlund transformation both in bilinear and in ordinary form for the transformed generalised Vakhnenko equation (GVE) is derived. It is shown that the equation has an infinite sequence of conservation laws. An inverse scattering problem is formulated; it has a third-order eigenvalue problem. A procedure for finding the exact N-soliton solution to the GVE via the inverse scattering method is described. The procedure is illustrated by considering the cases N=1 and 2. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.