A remark on time-analyticity for the Kuramoto--Sivashinsky equation (Q1863596)

The authors show that the solution \(u(x,t)\) of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation \[ u_t+ u_{xx}+ u_{xxxx}+ uu_x= 0,\quad u(0,x)= u_0(x)\tag{1} \] is the restriction of a holomorphic function \(u'(t+ i\tau,x)\), \(t+i\tau\in D\subseteq\mathbb{C}\). Their aim is to give an estimate of the size of \(D\). Here, \(u(x,t)\), \(x\in\mathbb{R}\), \(t\in [0,T)\) is a solution of (1) if: (i) \(u_0\in L^p(\mathbb{R})\), \(1\leq p\leq\infty\), (ii) \(u(x,t)\), \(t\in (0,T)\) is a classical solution to (1), (iii) one has \(u(x,t)\to u_0(x)\) for a.e. \(x\in\mathbb{R}\) as \(t\to 0\), and \(\limsup\|u(\;,t)\|_p<\infty\) as \(t\to 0\), where \(\|\;\|_p=\|\;\|_{L^p}\). Theorem 2.1 expresses the above extension property and asserts the following. There exists a unique solution \(u(x,t)\) of (1) on a maximal interval of existence \((0,T_m)\) with \[ T_m\geq T= 1/CM^{4p(3p- 1)} \] and \(u(x,t)\) is the restriction of a holomorphic function \[ u'(t+ i\tau,x)= u(x,t,\tau)+ iv(x,t,\tau), \] where \(t,\tau\in\mathbb{R}\) satisfy \(0< t< T\), \(|\tau|< t^{(5p- 7)8(p- 1)}/CM^{p/2(p- 1)}\), provided that \(2\leq p\leq\infty\). A similar estimate holds if \(1\leq p\leq 2\), and in addition, estimates for \(\|u'\|_p\), \(1\leq p\leq\infty\) are given. The main part of the paper is devoted to the proof of Theorem 2.1. A basic tool is the fundamental solution \(\Gamma(x,t)\) of the equation \(u_t+ Bu= 0\), \(Bu= u_{xxxx}+ u_{xx}\) which is given explicitely in terms of Fourier integrals. The solution of \(u_t+ Bu= f\) is then given in terms of Duhamels formula. The holomorphy proof proceeds by considering the iterations \[ u^n_t+ u^n_{xxxx}+ u^n_{xx}= -u^{n-1} u^n_x,\quad u^n(x, 0)= u_0(x) \] (\(n\) an upper index). The iterates are holomorphic in the domain \(\{te^{i\varphi}\mid t\cos\varphi> 0\}\). Estimates show that one has convergence as \(n\to\infty\) and that holomorphy is preserved on the domain given by Theorem 2.1.