An extension of a uniqueness theorem of J. A. Goldstein (Q790317)

In this note the author presents a uniqueness theorem for the Cauchy problem for the abstract equation (1) \(x'(t)=f(t,x(t))\), where f:(0,a]\(\times \Omega \to X\) (X is a Banach space and \(\Omega\) is an open subset of X) is of dissipative type, that is, there exists \(\Phi\) :(0,a]\(\times [0,\infty)\to [0,\infty)\) continuous, such that \(\Phi(t,0)=0\) for all \(t\in(0,a]\), \[ <f(t,x)-f(t,y),x-y>\leq | x- y| \Phi(t,| x-y|) \] for all \(t\in(0,a]\), x,\(y\in \Omega (<\cdot,\cdot>\) being a semi-inner product of X). More precisely, it is proved that if P:(0,a]\(\to X\) and \(\mu\) :(0,a]\(\to {\mathbb{R}}\) are given and the only solution of \(z(t)'=\Phi(t,z(t))\) on any interval \((0,\rho)\) satisfying \(z(t)=o(\mu(t))\) as \(t\downarrow 0\) is the zero solution, then for any interval \((0,\alpha]\subset(0,a]\) there is at most one strongly continuous, weakly differentiable function x:(0,\(\alpha]\to X\) such that x verifies (1) on \((0,\alpha]\) and \(x(t)=P(t)+o(\mu(t))\) as \(t\downarrow 0\). The result generalizes a theorem by \textit{J. A. Goldstein} [Nonlinear equations in abstract spaces, Proc. int. Symp., Arlington 1977, 95-103 (1978; Zbl 0448.34065)]. Applications are given to generalized Euler- Poisson-Darboux partial differential equations.