On the threshold nature of the Dini continuity for a Glassey derivative-type nonlinearity in a critical semilinear wave equation

Abstract

In the present manuscript, we determine the critical condition for the nonlinearity in a semilinear wave equation with a derivative-type nonlinearity. More precisely, we consider a nonlinear term depending on the time derivative of the solution, which is the product of a power nonlinearity with critical Glassey exponent and a modulus of continuity. By employing Zhou's approach along a certain characteristic line, we prove the blow-up in finite time for classical solutions (under a suitable sign condition for the Cauchy data) and we derive upper bound estimates for the lifespan for a not Dini continuous modulus of continuity. Furthermore, in the 3-dimensional and radially symmetric case, by using weighted $L^{\infty}$ estimates, we establish the global existence of small data solutions for a Dini continuous modulus of continuity, and lower bound estimates for the lifespan in the not Dini continuous case. These results provide the regularity threshold (i.e. the Dini condition) for the modulus of continuity in the nonlinearity.