abstract
- We extend the global existence result for the derivative NLS equation to the case when the initial datum includes a finite number of solitons. This is achieved by an application of the B\"acklund transformation that removes a finite number of zeros of the scattering coefficient. By means of this transformation, the Riemann--Hilbert problem for meromorphic functions can be formulated as the one for analytic functions, the solvability of which was obtained recently.