On the Cauchy problem for finitely degenerate hyperbolic equations of second order (Q1426910): Difference between revisions

The paper is devoted to following Cauchy problem for weakly hyperbolic second order operators with coefficients depending only on \(t\): \[ \partial^2_t u-\sum_{j,k=1}^na_{jk}(t)\partial_{x_j}\partial_{x_k}u + \sum_{j=1}^n b_j(t)\partial_{x_j} u=0,\qquad u(0,x)=u_0(x),\quad \partial_t u(0,x)=u_1(x), \tag{1} \] where \(a(t,\xi)=\sum_{j,k=1}^na_{jk}(t)\xi_j\xi_k/\xi^2\geq 0\) for all \(t\in {\mathbb R}\), \(\xi\in {\mathbb R}^n\). Under a precise hypothesis in which the finite order degeneracy of the symbol \(a(t,\xi)\) is combined with a Levi type condition on the terms of order one, a result of well-posedness in Gevrey spaces for (1) is obtained. This result is related to similar ones obtained by \textit{V. Ya. Ivrii} [Sib. Math. J. 17, 921--931 (1977; Zbl 0404.35068)] and by \textit{H. Ishida} and \textit{H. Odai} [Funkc. Ekvacioj, Ser. Int 43, 71--85 (2000; Zbl 1142.35522)]. The proof is inspired to the technique of approximate energies developped by \textit{F. Colombini}, \textit{E. De Giorgi} and \textit{S. Spagnolo} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa., Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 6, 511--559 (1979; Zbl 0417.35049)].