Cauchy problem for the torsional vibration equation of a nonlinear-elastic rod of infinite length (Q2226234): Difference between revisions

The author studies the solvability of the problem of torsional vibrations of an infinite nonlinear-elastic rod in the space of continuous functions. This is generally modeled by a Sobolev-type equation that is not resolved with respect to the time derivative of the second order \[ Du = \beta\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\Big(\frac{\partial u}{\partial x}\Big)^3,\qquad D=\frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2} -\frac{\partial^4}{\partial x^2\partial t^2} -\frac{\partial^2}{\partial x^2}+\alpha^2 \frac{\partial^4}{\partial x^4}, \] which, after a suitable change of variable, becomes \[ \frac{\partial^2 \theta }{\partial t^2} - c_1^2 \frac{\partial^2\theta}{\partial x^2} -\frac{I_\varphi}{I_0} \frac{\partial^2}{\partial x^2}\Big(\frac{\partial^2 \theta}{\partial t^2} -c_0^2 \frac{\partial^2\theta}{\partial x^2}\Big)=0. \] A Cauchy problem associated to this equation then requires imposing initial conditions \[ u(x,0)=\varphi(x),\qquad u_t(x,0)=\psi(x). \] In the first part, the author proves that, when the initial conditions and their derivatives up to the fourth order are continuous, then the Cauchy problem is well posed, at least locally in time, and admits a solution in the strong sense. Then, the author shows also uniqueness of the strong solution, and provides some quantitative estimates on the regularity of such solutions. The second part is devoted to the global-in-time well-posedness of the Cauchy problem: the author shows that, when the initial data \[ \varphi \in W^{1,4}(\mathbb{R})\cap H^2(\mathbb{R}),\qquad \psi \in W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R}), \] then the strong solution belongs to \(W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R})\), is globally well defined in time, and its \(C^0\) norm grows at most exponentially in time. On the other hand, if the initial data satisfies \[ \|\varphi\|_{W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R})}^2>0,\qquad M:= \langle \varphi,\psi \rangle+\langle \varphi',\psi' \rangle>0,\qquad Z_0< M^2 \|\varphi\|_{W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R})}^{-2}, \] then no global-in-time solution can exist, and the author estimates the maximum blow-up time.