The blow-up curve of solutions of mixed problems for semilinear wave equations with exponential nonlinearities in one space dimension. I (Q5949025)

The author considers the solution of the following mixed problem \[ \begin{aligned} u_{tt}-u_{xx}=F(u)&\qquad \text{if} x>0\;\text{and} t>0,\\ u_{x}+\gamma u_{t}=0 &\qquad\text{if} x=0\;\text{and} t>0,\\ u=\psi_0\text{ and }u_t=\psi_1 &\qquad \text{if} x>0\text{ and} t=0.\end{aligned}\tag{1} \] where \(\gamma\not = 1\) and \(\psi_0\), \(\psi_1\) satisfy a list of compatibility conditions. \(F\) is a \(C^2\) function with exponential behavior, i.e., there exist \(C_0\), \(C_1\), \(C_2\), \(p\), \(z_0\) and \(A>0\) such that \[ F(z)\geq -C_0 \qquad\text{for\;all} z\in {\mathbb{R}}, \] \[ e^{-pz}F(z)\to A\qquad \text{as} z\to +\infty, \] \[ C_1\leq e^{-pz}F'(z)\leq C_2\qquad \text{if} z\geq z_0, \] \[ |F''(z)|\leq C_2e^{pz}\qquad \text{if } z\geq 0. \] Under this hypotheses the author proves that if \(|\gamma|<1\) there exists \(\phi:[0,+\infty[\to [0,+\infty]\), such that \(\phi([0,+\infty[)\subseteq[0,+\infty[\) or \(\phi([0,+\infty[)=\{+\infty\}\) and there exists \(u\in C^3(\Omega)\), where \(\Omega=\{(x,t),\;t<\phi(x)\}\) such that \(u\) is a solution of (1). If \(\phi([0,+\infty[)\subseteq[0,+\infty[\) the function \(\phi\) is the blow-up curve of the solution, \(\phi\) is \(C^1\), \(|\phi'(x)|<1\) for all \(x\in [0,+\infty[\), \(\phi(0)=\gamma\) and \(u(y,s)\to+\infty\) if \(s<\phi(y)\) and \((y,s)\to(x,\phi(x))\) for some \(x\in[0,+\infty[\). A similar but weaker result is given in the case of \(\gamma=-1\). The proofs of these theorems are inspired by those ones of similar results by \textit{L. A. Caffarelli} and \textit{A. Friedman} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 91, 83-98 (1985; Zbl 0593.35055); Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 297, 223-241 (1986; Zbl 0638.35053)].