Time-dependent propagation speed vs strong damping for degenerate linear hyperbolic equations (Q1993960)

The authors consider the very interesting abstract wave equation equipped with time-dependent speed of propagation, \[ u''(t)+2\delta A^\sigma u'(t)+c(t)A u(t)=0, \quad \text{on}\;[0,T], \] with \( u(0)=u_0\), \(u'(0)=u_1\), where \(A\) is a densely defined, nonnegative, self-adjoint linear operator on some Hilbert space \(H\), \(\delta\geq0\) and \(\sigma\geq0.\) For adequately regular functions \(c(t)\), the non-dissipative case (\(\delta=0\)) is treated in [\textit{F. Colombini} et al., Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 6, 511--559 (1979; Zbl 0417.35049)] under the strict hyperbolicity assumption, \[ 0<\mu_1\leq c(t)\leq\mu_2 \quad \forall t\in[0,T], \] and in [\textit{F. Colombini} et al., Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 10, 291--312 (1983; Zbl 0543.35056)] with the \textit{degenerate} hyperbolicity assumption, \[ 0\leq c(t)\leq\mu_3 \quad \forall t\in[0,T]. \] Results for the dissipative case (\(\delta>0\)) with positive constant speed of propagation are contained in [the authors with \textit{A. Haraux}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 368, No. 3, 2039--2079 (2016; Zbl 1342.35184)]. The present article is concerned with the case of variable, time-dependent speeds of propagation. The main issue to sort out is the interaction between the damping and the potential low-regularity of the function \(c\). The first results appear in [the authors, J. Differ. Equations 260, No. 2, 1585--1621 (2016; Zbl 1336.35252)]. In particular, when \(\sigma>1/2\) and \(c\) is a measurable function satisfying the degenerate hyperbolicity condition, then damping ``wins'' and the problem is well-posed in \(D(A^{1/2})\times H\). For \(\sigma\in[0,1/2]\) and \(c\) a \(\alpha\)-Hölder continuous function satisfying the strict hyperbolicity condition, the problem is again well-posed in \(D(A^{1/2})\times H\) if \(2\sigma>1-\alpha\). When \(2\sigma\leq1-\alpha\), the equations associate to the non-dissipative case. This article presents further results pertaining to these time-dependent propagation speed cases for \(\sigma\in[0,1/2]\). Here the authors assume \(c\in C^{k,\alpha}\) satisfies the degenerate hyperbolicity condition. Threshold conditions are given to the cases when \((2+k+\alpha)>1\) and \((2+k+\alpha)<1\).