abstract
- We consider the massive Thirring model in the laboratory coordinates and explain how the inverse scattering transform can be developed with the Riemann-Hilbert approach. The key ingredient of our method is to transform the corresponding spectral problem to the equivalent forms: one is suitable for the spectral parameter at the origin and the other one is suitable for the spectral parameter at infinity. Global solutions to the massive Thirring model are recovered from the reconstruction formulae at the origin and at infinity.