Quasi-periodic solutions of nonlinear wave equations with a prescribed potential (Q874722)

The paper deals with the existence of invariant tori of the nonlinear wave equation (1)~\(u_{tt}=u_{xx}-V(x)u-u^3\) for \(x\in\Omega:=(0,\pi)\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions \(u(t,0)=0=u(t,\pi)\). The potential \(V:[0,\pi]\to\mathbb{R}\) is smooth and \(\int^\pi_0 V(x)\,dx\neq 0\) (this can be weakened). Let \(\lambda_1<\lambda_2<\ldots\) be the Dirichlet eigenvalues of \(-d^2/dx^2+V(x)\) on \(\Omega\). For a given set \(N_d=\{j_1, \ldots, j_d\}\subset\mathbb{N}\) let \(E_{N_d}\) be the \(2\)d-dimensional subspace of \(W=H^1_0(\Omega)\times L^2(\Omega)\) consisting of the invariant tori of the linearized equation \(u_{tt}=u_{xx}-V(x)u\) with frequencies \(\lambda_{j_1},\ldots,\lambda_{j_d}\). The main theorem states that, under certain conditions on these frequencies there exists a positive measure subset of these invariant tori which persists for the nonlinear equation (1). In the proof the equation is considered as an infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian system with phase space \(W\). After bringing it into Birkhoff normal form the authors apply a KAM theorem due to \textit{S. B. Kuksin} [Nearly integrable infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems. Lecture Notes in Mathematics. 1556. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. (1993; Zbl 0784.58028)] and \textit{J. Pöschel} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Supér. Pisa, Cl. Sci. (4) 23, No. 1, 119--148 (1996; Zbl 0870.34060)].