Singular initial value problems for scalar quasi-linear ordinary differential equations

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Publication:2656264



Abstract: We discuss existence, non-uniqueness and regularity of one- and two-sided solutions of initial value problems for scalar quasi-linear ordinary differential equations where the initial condition corresponds to an impasse point of the equation. With a differential geometric approach, we reduce the problem to questions in dynamical systems theory. As an application, we discuss in detail second-order equations of the form g(x)u″=f(x,u,u′) with an initial condition imposed at a simple zero of g. This generalises results by Liang and also makes them more transparent via our geometric approach.


The paper is devoted to singular initial value problems for implicit differential equations (IDEs) in the form \begin{align*} & g(x,u,u', \ldots, u^{(q-1)})\,u^{(q)} = f(x,u,u', \ldots, u^{(q-1)}), \\ & u^{(i)}(\bar x) = \bar u_i, \ \ \ i=0,1, \ldots, q-1, \end{align*} where \(g(\bar x, \bar u_0, \bar u_1, \ldots, \bar u_{q-1}) = 0\). The functions \(f\) and \(g\) are supposed to be (finitely or infinitely) smooth. The authors study the existence, the (non-)uniqueness and the regularity of one-sided and two-sided solutions of such initial value problems. Passing to the vector field generated by the considered IDE in the space of \((q-1)\)-jets, these problems can be reduced to the analysis of singular (stationary) points of smooth vector fields. If \(q>1\), then vector fields obtained in this way have non-isolated (and consequently, non-hyperbolic) singular points. Locally, all components of such a vector field belong to the ideal (in the ring of smooth functions) generated by two of them, and its singular points fill the center manifold of codimension two. A special attention is focused on IDEs of the second order in the form \[ g(x)u = f(x,u,u'), \ \ u(\bar x) = \bar u_0, \ \ u'(\bar x) = \bar u_1. \] where \(\bar x\) is a simple zero of the function \(g\). The interest to such equations is motivated by some problems arising in mathematical physics and differential geometry.



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