Explicit solutions of the (2 + 1)-dimensional AKNS shallow water wave equation with variable coefficients

Using an improved direct reduction method, we find the equivalence transformations of (2 + 1)-dimensional AKNS shallow water wave equation with variable coefficients, and obtain the corresponding relationship between explicit solutions of AKNS equation and those of the corresponding reduced equation. In addition, we get some new explicit solutions of AKNS equation by applying Lie symmetry method.