Consistent Riccati Expansion for Integrable Systems

A consistent Riccati expansion (CRE) is proposed for solving nonlinear systems with the help of a Riccati equation. A system having a CRE is then defined to be CRE solvable. The CRE solvability is demonstrated quite universal for various integrable systems including the Korteweg–de Vries, Kadomtsev–Petviashvili, Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Segur (and then nonlinear Schrödinger), sine‐Gordon, Sawada–Kotera, Kaup–Kupershmidt, modified asymmetric Nizhnik–Novikov–Veselov, Broer–Kaup, dispersive water wave, and Burgers systems. In addition, it is revealed that many CRE solvable systems share a similar determining equation describing the interactions between a soliton and a cnoidal wave. They have a common nonlocal symmetry expression and they possess a formally universal once Bäcklund transformation.