AbstractArbitrary amplitude and small amplitude ion-acoustic solitary waves (IASWs) have been investigated in a relativistic, collisionless, unmagnetized, and degenerate dense electron–positron–ion plasma. The arbitrary amplitude IASWs have been studied by using the Sagdeev-type pseudo-potential approach. Along with approximate solution, the exact amplitude solitary structure has also been studied numerically. The electrons and positrons are assumed to follow the corresponding Fermi distribution function and the ions are described by the hydrodynamic equations. A new dispersion relation for the ion-acoustic wave has been derived for the relativistic Thomas–Fermi plasma. An energy balance-like equation involving the Sagdeev-type pseudo-potential has been investigated and it has been shown that the concentration of plasma particles has significant effect on the permitted Mach number range of IASWs. Also, it has been pointed out that the only compressional supersonic IASWs can propagate in the relativistic Thomas–Fermi plasma. The present work would be helpful to understand the excitation of the nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a degenerate plasma, such as in superdense white dwarfs and in the cores of massive planets.