A transmission problem for quasi-linear wave equations (Q2438010)

This paper considers systems of the form \[ \partial_\mu(A^{\mu\nu}(U)\partial_\nu U)=F(U,\partial U)+\chi_\Omega H(U,\partial U) \] with summation over \(\mu\) and \(\nu\) (running from 0 to \(n\)), in \([0,T]\times{\mathbb R}^n\) (\(n\geq 3\)), where \(\Omega\) is an open set in \({\mathbb R}^n\) with smooth boundary, \(\chi_\Omega\) is the characteristic function of \(\Omega\), and the (real-valued functions) \(A^{\mu\nu}(U)\), with presumably \(A^{\mu\nu}=A^{\nu\mu}\), are such that \(A^{00}(U)\leq -\kappa\) (where \(\kappa\) is a positive constant), and the \(A^{ij}\) (\(1\leq i, j\leq n\)) satisfy a uniform ellipticity condition. All nonlinearities are smooth, and \(F(0,0)=0\). The main claim of the paper is that, provided the initial data satisfy compatibility conditions, it is possible to find solutions that are, away from the boundary of \(\Omega\), and for every \(t\), in a Sobolev space \(H^s\), with \(s>n/2\); on the other hand, their overall regularity over \({\mathbb R}^n\) is described in terms of classes \(H^k\) with \(k\leq 2\). Uniqueness and continuation results are also stated; the latter is given for solutions that do not blow up in \(W^{1,\infty}((0,T)\times{\mathbb T}^n)\) (where \({\mathbb T}^n\) is the \(n\)-torus). The authors state that their work is an adaptation of \textit{H. Koch}'s paper [Math. Z. 214, No. 1, 9--42 (1993; Zbl 0790.35073)] for mixed problems, to the case of an internal boundary.