Lump solutions to a generalized nonlinear PDE with four fourth-order terms

Abstract A combined fourth-order (2 + 1)-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equation which contains four fourth-order nonlinear terms and all second-order linear terms is formulated. This equation covers three generalized KP, Hirota–Satsuma–Ito, and Calogero–Bogoyavlenskii–Schiff equations as examples, which have physical applications in the study of various nonlinear phenomena in nature. In terms of some settings of the coefficients, a class of lump solutions is constructed by the Hirota bilinear method and the solutions are calculated through the symbolic computation system of Maple. Meanwhile, the relation between the coefficients and the solution is explored. Two special lump solutions are generated by taking proper values for the involved coefficients and parameters, and their dynamic behaviors are studied, as illustrative examples. The primary advantage of the Hirota bilinear method is to transform a nonlinear equation into a bilinear one so that the targeted equation can be easily studied.