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The Korteweg-De Vries equation is the compatibility condition $L_t=[P,L]$ for the Lax pairFor rapidly decaying initial data, first solve the direct KdV Schrodinger spectral problemComparing its Jost solutions at the two spatial infinities produces the KdV scattering data: the reflection coefficient $R(k)$ on the continuous spectrum, discrete eigenvalues $-{\kappa }_n^2$, and norming amplitudes $c_n$ for the bound states.

The Lax evolution is isospectral. More precisely, the Time evolution of KdV scattering data isThis is the simple linear evolution that makes the nonlinear initial-value problem tractable.

To invert the data, formSolve the Gelfand-Levitan-Marchenko equationand reconstructDirect scattering at $t=0$, linear evolution of the data, and this inverse step constitute the inverse scattering transform.

Each discrete term satisfiesand the same identity follows for the Fourier integral from $R_t=8i{k}^{3}R$. HenceApply ${\partial }_x^2-{\partial }_y^2-u(x,t)$ to the Gelfand-Levitan-Marchenko equation. Differentiating under the integral and integrating the $z$ derivatives by parts, the boundary terms combine to $u=-2{\partial }_{x}K(x,x,t)$. The terms containing $F$ cancel, leavingUniqueness of the Marchenko equation then also gives $G=0$.

Putand seek the rank-one Gelfand-Levitan-Marchenko kernel in the separable formSubstitution into the Gelfand-Levitan-Marchenko equation givessoand hence

WriteThe reconstruction formula for this inverse scattering transform convention yieldsIf $q=e^{-2s}$, then $4q/(1+q{)}^2={\mathrm{sech}}^{2}s$. Takingtherefore produces the required one-soliton of the Korteweg-De Vries equation, withHere the usual bound-state norming constant has ${\beta }_0>0$ and $\chi >0$, so $\varphi$ is real.