KdV Solitons: Two-Soliton Interaction

The Korteweg–de Vries equation u_t + 6uu_x + u_xxx = 0 has exact N-soliton solutions via the inverse scattering transform. Two solitons pass through each other, emerging with the same shape but with a phase shift — the hallmark of integrability.

Soliton 1

Soliton 2

Exact 2-soliton formula (Hirota bilinear). Amplitude = 2κ², width ~ 1/κ, speed = 4κ². Phase shift Δ = 2ln|(κ₁-κ₂)/(κ₁+κ₂)|.