Non-existence of global solutions to nonlinear wave equations with positive initial energy

Abstract

We consider the Cauchy problem for nonlinear abstract wave equations in a Hilbert space. Our main goal is to show that this problem has solutions with arbitrary positive initial energy that blow up in a finite time. The main theorem is proved by employing a result on growth of solutions of abstract nonlinear wave equation and the concavity method. A number of examples of nonlinear wave equations are given. A result on blow up of solutions with arbitrary positive initial energy to the initial boundary value problem for the wave equation under nonlinear boundary conditions is also obtained.