Weierstrass's criterion and compact solitary waves.
Weierstrass's theory is a standard qualitative tool for single degree of freedom equations, used in classical mechanics and in many textbooks. In this Brief Report we show how a simple generalization of this tool makes it possible to identify some differential equations for which compact and even semicompact traveling solitary waves exist. In the framework of continuum mechanics, these differential equations correspond to bulk shear waves for a special class of constitutive laws.
Destrade
Michel
M
Institut Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, UMR 7190, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 Place Jussieu, Case 162, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France. destrade@lmm.jussieu.fr
Gaeta
Giuseppe
G
Saccomandi
Giuseppe
G