The hyperbolic operators with the characteristics vanishing with the different speeds. (Q696164)

The authors investigate the Cauchy problem for operators with time-dependent coefficients: \[ P(t,D_t,D_x)=\sum_{j+|\alpha|\leq m} a_{j\alpha}(t)D^j_t D^\alpha_x,\;t\in[0,T],\;x\in\mathbb{R}^n. \] The roots \(\tau_j(t,x)\), \(j=1,\dots,m\), of the characteristic polynomial are assumed real-valued, satisfying the condition \(|\tau_j(t,\xi)-\tau_k (t,\xi)|\geq C\) \(\lambda^{p_j}(t)\), \(j<k\), where the function \(\lambda (t)\) vanishes at \(t=0\), possibly to infinite order. Under Levi conditions on the lower order terms, expressed by means of \(\lambda (t)\), the authors prove well-posedness in \(C^\infty\) of the Cauchy problem. This extends preceding results concerning the case \(p_1=\cdots=p_m =p\); for \(\lambda(t)=t\), see \textit{K. Shinkai} [Osaka J. Math. 18, 257--288 (1981; Zbl 0468.35065)], for \(\lambda(t)\) having a zero of infinite order, see \textit{K. Yagdian} [The Cauchy problem for hyperbolic operators. Akademie Verlag, Berlin (1997; Zbl 0887.35002)]. The novelty in the present paper is given by the different speeds of vanishing of the \(\tau_j(t,\xi)\), implying severe technical difficulties in the proof.