Variational derivation of the Camassa-Holm shallow water equation with non-zero vorticity

Abstract

We describe the physical hypotheses underlying the derivation of an approximate model of water waves. For unidirectional surface shallow water waves moving over an irrotational flow as well as over a non-zero vorticity flow, we derive the Camassa-Holm equation by an interplay of variational methods and small-parameter expansions.