Moving boundary problems for a novel extended mKdV equation. Application of Ermakov-Painlev\'e II symmetry reduction

Abstract

A novel extension of the canonical solitonic mKdV equation is introduced which admits hybrid Ermakov-Painlev\'e II symmetry reduction. Application of the latter is made to obtain exact solution of Airy-type to a class of moving boundary problems of Stefan kind for this extended mKdV equation. A reciprocal transformation is then applied to the latter to generate an associated exactly solvable class of moving boundary problems for an extension of a base Casimir member of a compacton hierachy. The extended mKdV equation is shown to be embedded in a range of nonlinear evolution equations with temporal modulation as determined via the action of a class of involutory transformations with origin in Ermakov theory. Associated temporal modulation for the hybrid mKdV and KdV equation as embedded in the classical solitonic Gardner equation is delimited.