Soliton resolution for the radial critical wave equation in all odd space dimensions (Q6042831)

Consider the Cauchy problem for the energy-critical focusing wave equation \(\partial_t^2 u -\Delta u=|u|^{4/(N-2)}u\) in odd space dimension \(N\ge 3\). The equation has a nonzero radial stationary solution \(W\), which is unique up to scaling and sign change. In this paper, the authors prove the soliton resolution conjecture for the radial critical wave equation in all odd space dimensions. More precisely, for any radial solution, which is bounded in the energy norm, it is proved to behave asymptotically as sums of modulated \(W\), decoupled by the scaling, and a radiation term. The proof essentially boils down to the fact that the equation does not have purely non-radiative multi-soliton solutions. The proof overcomes the fundamental obstruction for the extension of the 3D case (treated in the authors' previous work [Camb. J. Math. 1, No. 1, 75--144 (2013; Zbl 1308.35143)]), by reducing the study of a multi-soliton solution to a finite dimensional system of ordinary differential equations on the modulation parameters. The key ingredient of the proof is to show that this system of equations creates some radiation, contradicting the existence of pure multi-solitons.