Abstract
Riccati equation approach is used to look for exact travelling wave solutions of some nonlinear physical models. Solitary wave solutions are established for the modified KdV equation, the Boussinesq equation and the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation. New generalized solitary wave solutions with some free parameters are derived. The obtained solutions, which includes some previously known solitary wave solutions and some new ones, are expressed by a composition of Riccati differential equation solutions followed by a polynomial. The employed approach, which is straightforward and concise, is expected to be further employed in obtaining new solitary wave solutions for nonlinear physical problems.