Profiles for the radial focusing energy-critical wave equation in odd dimensions

Abstract

In this paper we consider global and non-global radial solutions of the focusing energy--critical wave equation on $\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}^N$ where $N \geq 5$ is odd. We prove that if the solution remains bounded in the energy space as you approach the maximal forward time of existence, then along a sequence of times converging to the maximal forward time of existence, the solution decouples into a sum of dynamically rescaled solitons, a free radiation term, and an error tending to zero in the energy space. If, in addition, we assume a bound on the evolution that rules out formation of multiple solitons, then this decoupling holds for all times approaching the maximal forward time of existence.