The mathematical formulation for the problem of non-linear oscillations in a self-consistent, non-uniform, collisionless plasma is considered. The fully nonlinear treatment illuminates the effect of the wave on the background distribution of the plasma through which it is passing. It is assumed that, although the overall non-uniformity may be large, significant changes occur only over time or length scales which are large compared with the plasma period or Debye length respectively. Exclusion of secular terms from the solution leads to a Liouvile type equation, which must be satisfied by the background distribution, and to propagation laws for the waves.

The theory is restricted to almost one-dimensional electrostatic waves and a general presentation is given from a relativistically-invariant point of view. Then the equations are derived in terms of physical variables for the special case in which: (i) the distribution functions and electrostatic potential depend on one space co-ordinate (that of propagation of the wave) and the former on the corresponding particle velocity component only, (ii) the wave is slowly-varying only with respect to this co-ordinate and time, and (iii) the magnetic field is zero. Finally, the non-relativistic limit of this case is considered in more detail. The boundary conditions satisfied by the distribution functions are discussed and this leads to the conclusion that in some circumstances thin sheets of probability fluid are formed in phase space and the background distribution cannot be strictly defined. This motivates a reformulation and subsequent re-solution of the problem (for this non-relativistic special case) in terms of weak functions, corresponding to the physical assumption of the presence of a small-scale mixing mechanism, which is excited by and smears the sheeted distribution but is otherwise dormant.

The results of the investigation are given as a system of differentio-integral equations which must be solved if necessary conditions for the absence of nonsecular solutions (of the Vlasov and Maxwell equations) are to be satisfied. No solution of this system is attempted here.