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Darboux transformations, discrete integrable systems and related Yang-Baxter maps

In this thesis we study the Darboux transformations related to particular Lax operators of NLS type which are invariant under the action of the so-called reduction group. Specifically, we study the cases of: 1) the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (with no reduction), 2) the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation, where the corresponding Lax operator is invariant under the action of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-reduction group and 3) a deformation of the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation, associated to a Lax operator invariant under the action of the dihedral reduction group. These reduction groups correspond to recent classification results of automorphic Lie algebras. We derive Darboux matrices for all the above cases and we use them to construct novel discrete integrable systems together with their Lax representations. For these systems of difference equations, we discuss the initial value problem and, moreover, we consider their integrable reductions. Furthermore, the derivation of the Darboux matrices gives rise to many interesting objects, such as Bäcklund transformations for the corresponding partial differential equations as well as symmetries and conservation laws of their associated systems of difference equations. Moreover, we employ these Darboux matrices to construct six-dimensional Yang-Baxter maps for all the afore-mentioned cases. These maps can be restricted to four-dimensional Yang-Baxter maps on invariant leaves, which are completely integrable; we also consider their vector generalisations.