This monograph provides a comprehensive and self-contained study on the theory of water waves equations, a research area that has been very active in recent years. The vast literature devoted to the study of water waves offers numerous asymptotic models. Which model provides the best description of waves such as tsunamis or tidal waves? How can water waves equations be transformed into simpler asymptotic models for applications in, for example, coastal oceanography? This book proposes a simple and robust framework for studying these questions.

The book should be of interest to graduate students and researchers looking for an introduction to water waves equations or for simple asymptotic models to describe the propagation of waves. Researchers working on the mathematical analysis of nonlinear dispersive equations may also find inspiration in the many (and sometimes new) models derived here, as well as precise information on their physical relevance.