Existence and regularity of solutions for a semilinear first-order equation on the torus (Q790343)

The paper investigates the existence of solutions of the equation \[ (1)\quad \sum^{N}_{i=1}a_ i\partial u/\partial x_ i+g(x,u)=0 \] posed on the N-dimensional torus \(\Omega\), that is \([0,2\pi]^ N\) with periodic boundary identifications; \(a_ i\in {\mathbb{R}}\) and \(g\in C(\Omega \times {\mathbb{R}})\). The difficulty in trying to solve (1) along the characteristics \(\dot x{}_ i(t)=a_ i\), \(i=1,...,N\), arises when the \(a_ i\) are not pairwise linearly dependent over the rationals for then the characteristics wind up around themselves. And using Fourier series leads to a small divisor problem. \textit{H. Brézis} and \textit{L. Nirenberg} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 30, 1-11 (1977; Zbl 0335.35028)] find a \(C^{\infty}\) solution when \(g\in C^{\infty}(\Omega \times {\mathbb{R}})\), \(g_ u>0\) and a certain growth condition of g with respect to u holds for large \(| u|.\) In this paper we obtain a bounded solution if \(g\in C(\Omega \times {\mathbb{R}})\) and satisfies the growth condition. If, moreover, g is strictly increasing in u this solution is unique and continuous. Finally if \(g\in C^ k\), \(k\geq 1\) and \(g_ u>0\) the solution is stable under \(C^ k\)- perturbations of g.