In these notes we consider two kinds of nonlinear evolution problems of von Karman type on Euclidean spaces of arbitrary even dimension. Each of these problems consists of a system that results from the coupling of two highly nonlinear partial differential equations, one hyperbolic or parabolic and the other elliptic. These systems take their name from a formal analogy with the von Karman equations in the theory of elasticity in two dimensional space. We establish local (respectively global) results for strong (resp., weak) solutions of these problems and corresponding well-posedness results in the Hadamard sense. Results are found by obtaining regularity estimates on solutions which are limits of a suitable Galerkin approximation scheme. The book is intended as a pedagogical introduction to a number of meaningful application of classical methods in nonlinear Partial Differential Equations of Evolution. The material is self-contained and most proofs are given in full detail. The interested reader will gain a deeper insight into the power of nontrivial a priori estimate methods in the qualitative study of nonlinear differential equations.

This book considers evolution equations of hyperbolic and parabolic type. These equations are studied from a common point of view, using elementary methods, such as that of energy estimates, which prove to be quite versatile. The authors emphasize the Cauchy problem and present a unified theory for the treatment of these equations. In particular, they provide local and global existence results, as well as strong well-posedness and asymptotic behavior results for the Cauchy problem for quasi-linear equations. Solutions of linear equations are constructed explicitly, using the Galerkin method; the linear theory is then applied to quasi-linear equations, by means of a linearization and fixed-point technique. The authors also compare hyperbolic and parabolic problems, both in terms of singular perturbations, on compact time intervals, and asymptotically, in terms of the diffusion phenomenon, with new results on decay estimates for strong solutions of homogeneous quasi-linear equations of each type. This textbook presents a valuable introduction to topics in the theory of evolution equations, suitable for advanced graduate students. The exposition is largely self-contained. The initial chapter reviews the essential material from functional analysis. New ideas are introduced along with their context. Proofs are detailed and carefully presented. The book concludes with a chapter on applications of the theory to Maxwell's equations and von Karman's equations.