The self-similar solutions of the one-dimensional semilinear Tricomi-type equations (Q879375)

The present paper is devoted to the Cauchy problem for the Tricomi-type equation \(u_{tt}- t^{2k}u_{xx}= F(u)\), where \(F(u)= \kappa|u|^\alpha u\) or \(F(u)= \kappa|u|^{\alpha+1}\), \(\alpha> 0\), \(\kappa\in\mathbb{R}\). The goal of the author is to determine those values of \(k\) and \(\alpha\) for which the Cauchy problem with data at \(t= 0\) has a global in time solution, and, in particular, a self-similar solution. The existence of a global weak solution to \(u_{tt}- t^{2k}u_{xx}= F(u)\), \(u(0,x)= \varphi_0(x)\), \(u_t(0,x)=\varphi_1(x)\) is obtained by studying the integral equation \(u(t, x)= u_0(t, x)+ G[F(u)](t, x)\), where \(G[f]\) is the resolving operator for \(u_{tt}- t^{2k}u_{xx}= f(t, x)\), \(u(0, x)= u_t(0, x)= 0\). The global existence is proved by Banach's fixed point theorem in a suitable weighted Banach space. Here the main difficulty is to estimate \(G[F(u)]\), this is done in several steps by dividing \(\mathbb{R}^2_+\) in domains near and away characteristics. If \(\varphi_0\) and \(\varphi_1\) are homogeneous, that is, \(\varphi_0(x)= c_0|x|^{-{2\over \alpha(k+1)}}\), \(\varphi_1(x)= c_1|x|^{-{2\over\alpha(k+ 1)}}\), \(|c_0|+|c_1|\ll 1\), then there exists a unique self-similar solution in the weighted Banach space.