Global existence for the one-dimensional second order semilinear hyperbolic equations

The aim of the paper is to study necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the global solution of the one-dimensional semilinear equation appearing in the boundary value problems of gas dynamics. We investigate the Cauchy problem for such equation in the domain where the operator is weakly hyperbolic. We obtain the necessary condition for the existence of the selfsimilar solutions for the semilinear Gellerstedt-type equation. The approach used in the paper is based on the fundamental solution of the linear Gellerstedt operator and the Lp–Lq estimates. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.