Non-uniform dependence on initial data for equations of Whitham type

Abstract

We consider the Cauchy problem \[ \partial_t u+u\partial_x u+L(\partial_x u) =0, \quad u(0,x)=u_0(x) \] for a class of Fourier multiplier operators $L$, and prove that the solution map $u_0\mapsto u(t)$ is not uniformly continuous in $H^s$ on the real line or on the torus for $s > \frac{3}{2}$. Under certain assumptions, the result also hold for $s > 0$. The class of equations considered includes in particular the Whitham equation and fractional Korteweg-de Vries equations and we show that, in general, the flow map cannot be uniformly continuous if the dispersion of $L$ is weaker than that of the KdV operator. The result is proved by constructing two sequences of solutions converging to the same limit at the initial time, while the distance at a later time is bounded below by a positive constant.