A multiple‐scale perturbation analysis for slowly varying weakly nonlinear dispersive waves predicts that the wave number breaks or folds and becomes triple‐valued. This theory has some difficulties, since the wave amplitude becomes infinite. Energy first focuses along a cusped caustic (an envelope of the rays or characteristics). The method of matched asymptotic expansions shows that a thin focusing region with relatively large wave amplitudes, valid near the cusped caustic, is described by the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NSE). Solutions of the NSE are obtained from an asymptotic expansion of an equivalent linear singular integral equation related to a Riemann‐Hilbert problem. In this way connection formulas before and after focusing are derived. We show that a slowly varying nearly monochromatic wave train evolves into a triple‐phased slowly varying similarity solution of the NSE. Three weakly nonlinear waves are simultaneously superimposed after focusing, giving meaning to a triple‐valued wave number. Nonlinear phase shifts are obtained which reduce to the linear phase shifts previously described by the asymptotic expansion of a Pearce
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