Riemann--Hilbert Problems

Abstract

These lectures introduce the method of nonlinear steepest descent for Riemann-Hilbert problems. This method finds use in studying asymptotics associated to a variety of special functions such as the Painlev\'{e} equations and orthogonal polynomials, in solving the inverse scattering problem for certain integrable systems, and in proving universality for certain classes of random matrix ensembles. These lectures highlight a few such applications.