On a Dirichlet problem for a second order hyperbolic equation (Q795994)

This paper deals with the study of a very delicate problem, which originates from works of \textit{M. Picone} [Rend. Circ. Mat. Palermo 31, pp. 133 (1911) and ibid. 32, pp. 188 (1911)] and \textit{G. Fichera} [Atti Accad. Sci. Torino, Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur. 105, 355-366 (1971; Zbl 0234.35055); Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei, Rend., Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur., VIII. Ser. 50, 6-17 (1971; Zbl 0231.35046)]. It concerns the Dirichlet (and Goursat) problem for the nonlinear wave equation \((1)\quad u_{xy}=f(x,y,u)\) with u(x,y) given on two monotonic arcs of curves \(\Gamma_ 1:[A,B)\) and \(\Gamma_ 2:[A,B)\) having only the endpoints A, B in common (and satisfying suitable additional conditions) under minimal assumptions on f. Since \(u_{xy}\) is required to be continuous, nothing less than f(x,y,u) continuous with respect to (x,y,u) can be assumed, and nothing more is indeed required by the author. Theorems of existence and uniqueness of local and global solutions are proved in both the non- singular case \((\Gamma_ 1\) and \(\Gamma_ 2\) have distinct tangents at A) and the singular one (the tangents at A coincide), using a refined fixed point theorem in Banach spaces. The solution is in general singular along two sides of the rectangle where it exists unless the data satisfy suitable regularity conditions, first given by G. Fichera (loc. cit.) for \(f=0\), and later extended by the author to (1) [Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei, Rend., Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur., VIII. Ser. 73, 105-109 (1982)].