Painlevé analysis and new analytic solutions for variable-coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation with symbolic computation

The variable-coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation is hereby under investigation. Painlevé analysis is given out, and an auto-Bäcklund transformation is presented via the truncated Painlevé expansion. Based on the auto-Bäcklund transformation, new analytic solutions are given, including the soliton-like and periodic solutions. It is also reduced to a (1+1)-dimensional partial differential equation via classical Lie group method and the Painlevé I equation by CK direct method.