Formation of finite-time singularities for nonlinear hyperbolic systems with small initial disturbances

Abstract

This article concerns the formation of finite-time singularities in solutions to quasilinear hyperbolic systems with small initial data. We propose a universal test function method that works for many nonlinear hyperbolic systems arising from physical applications. We first present a simpler proof of the main result in the work of Sideris [Commun. Math. Phys. 101(4), 475–485 (1985)]: the global classical solution is non-existent for compressible Euler equations even for some small initial data. Then, we apply this approach to nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics in two space dimensions. Finally, we consider second order quasilinear hyperbolic systems with quadratic nonlinearity arising from elastodynamics of isotropic hyperelastic materials by ignoring the cubic and higher order terms. Under some restriction on the coefficients of the nonlinear terms that imply genuine nonlinearity, we show that the classical solutions to these equations can still blow up in finite time even if the initial data are small enough.