We construct solutions of the Kadomtsev- Petviashvili equation and its coun
terpart, the modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation, with an infinite num
ber of solitons by a careful examination of the limits of N-soliton solutio
ns as N --> infinity. We give sufficient conditions to ensure that these li
mits exist and satisfy the (modified) Kadomtsev- Petviashvili equation.