On the application of a generalized version of the dressing method to the integration of variable coefficient N-coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation

N-coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equations have been proposed to describe N-pulse simultaneous propagation in optical fibers. When the fiber is nonuniform, N-coupled variable-coefficient NLS equations can arise. In this paper, a family of N-coupled integrable variable-coefficient NLS equations are studied by using a generalized version of the dressing method. We first extend the dressing method to the versions with (N + 1) × (N + 1) operators and (2N + 1) × (2N + 1) operators. Then, we obtain three types of N-coupled variable-coefficient equations (N-coupled NLS equations, N-coupled Hirota equations and N-coupled high-order NLS equations). Then, the compatibility conditions are given, which insure that these equations are integrable. Finally, the explicit solutions of the new integrable equations are obtained. © 2012 2012 The Author(s).