On multi-valued analytic solutions of first order nonlinear Cauchy problems (Q1175654)

Let \(U\subset\mathbb{C}^ n(n>2)\) be an open set, and \(S\subset U\) a smooth hypersurface, defined around \(x_ 0\in S\) by \(s\in{\mathcal O}_{U,x_ 0}\). Now consider a nonlinear, first-order Cauchy problem in \(U\), viz. \(F(x;du(x),u(x))=0\) with the initial condition \(u| S=\varphi\), where \(F\) and \(\varphi\) are holomorphic, and let \(e_ 0=(x_ 0;\xi_ 0,z_ 0)\) be a point in the jet bundle \(J^ 1(U)\), consistent with the initial condition. Consider also the holomorphic function \(h(t)=F(x_ 0;tds(x_ 0)+\xi_ 0,z_ 0)\), where \(t\in\mathbb{C}\). If \(h\) has a simple zero for \(t=0\), then \(S\) is noncharacteristic for \(F\) microlocally at \(e_ 0\), and it is well known that there exists a unique holomorphic local solution \(u\in{\mathcal O}_{U,x_ 0}\) for the Cauchy problem such that \((x_ 0;du(x_ 0),u(x_ 0))=e_ 0\). The author analyses the case in which the function \(h(t)\) has higher vanishing order in \(t=0\), under the supplementary condition that the Cauchy problem admits a ``good'' approximate solution of sufficiently large order \(k\), \(v\in{\mathcal O}_{U,x_ 0}\) (i.e. \(F(x;dv(x),v(x))\) has a zero of order \(k\) for \(x=x_ 0\), \(v| S=\varphi\), \((x_ 0;dv(x_ 0),v(x_ 0))=e_ 0\) and the Newton polygon of \(f(y,t):=F(y;tds(y)+dv(y),v(y))\) at \((x_ 0,0)\) satisfies certain conditions). The main result asserts that, by means of the theory of characteristic curves, for every irreducible factor of \(f(y,t)\), one can construct a finite analytic covering of \(U\) with \(A\subset U\) as critical locus, and, corresponding to the covering, a multi-valued holomorphic solution for the Cauchy problem on \(U\backslash A\) around \(x_ 0\). Moreover, one can calculate the ramification degree of the solution from the Newton polygon of \(f(y,t)\).