Symmetry breaking and theπKamplitudes in the unphysical region

We apply two different methods of analytic continuation (fixed-$t$ and hyperbolic dispersion relations with discrepancy) to determine the expansion parameters of the $\pi K$ amplitudes in the unphysical region near the symmetry point. Part of the available phase-shift data shows inconsistencies with crossing symmetry. The values we obtain for the parameters and for the so-called $\sigma$ term are then compared with predictions that we derive from different models of chiral-symmetry breaking.