Periodic Solutions of Nonlinear Equations Obtained by Linear Superposition

Abstract

We show that a type of linear superposition principle works for several nonlinear differential equations. Using this approach, we find periodic solutions of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation, the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation, the $\lambda \phi^4$ model, the sine-Gordon equation and the Boussinesq equation by making appropriate linear superpositions of known periodic solutions. This unusual procedure for generating solutions is successful as a consequence of some powerful, recently discovered, cyclic identities satisfied by the Jacobi elliptic functions.