A well-posed Cauchy problem for an evolution equation with coefficients of low regularity (Q1945871)

The authors are interested in the following Cauchy problem for a \(p\)-evolution equation: \[ D^2_tu- a(t, x)D^{2p}_x u= 0,\quad u(0, x)= u_0(x),\quad D_tu(0, x)= u_1(x). \] It is known from previous papers of the authors that \(L^2\) well-posedness of the Cauchy problem can be proved if 1. \(a\in\text{Lip}([0, T], B^\infty(\mathbb{R}))\) and \(a(t, x)\geq a_0> 0\), 2. \(|\partial^k_x a(t,x)|\leq C\langle x\rangle^{-\sigma}\), \(\sigma> 1\) and \(1\leq k\leq 2p- 1\). If the coefficient is only Hölder in \(t\), then the assumptions with respect to \(x\) should be organized in such a way, that one can consider well-posedness in Gevrey spaces. In the present paper the authors explain an interesting effect. Less regularity in \(t\), let us say Hölder behavior, can be compensated by a decay of the Hölder constant in \(x\) to prove \(L^2\) well-posedness. Precisely, \(L^2\) well-posedness is shown under the conditions 1. \(a\in C([0,T]\), \(B^\infty(\mathbb{R})\) and \(a(t,x)\geq a_0> 0\), 2. \(|\partial^k_x a(t, x)|\leq C\langle x\rangle^{-\sigma}\), \(\sigma> 1\) and \(1\leq k\leq 2p- 1\). 3. \(|a(t+ s, x)- a(t, x)\leq L|s|^\chi\langle x\rangle^{-p'(1-\chi)}\) for \(1/p<\chi\leq 1\), \(1/p'+ 1/p= 1\). The authors conjecture that a Hölder behavior of the Hölder constant less than \(1/p\) cannot be compensated by any decay behavior in \(x\). Moreover, they show that this effect of compensation cannot be used for \(p=1\) because of the finite propagation speed for hyperbolic operators. The proof of the main result bases on the following steps: 1. Factorization, regularization and diagonalization, 2. a pseudo-calculus should explain the behavior of the system of pseudo-differential equations in every step, 3. a change of variables and the construction of an bounded operator to below allows the application of sharp Gårding's inequality, 4. the energy method implies \(L^2\) well-posedness of the auxiliary Cauchy problem, 5. the change of variables brings no loss of derivatives.