On hyperbolic equations and systems with non-regular time dependent coefficients

In this paper we study higher order weakly hyperbolic equations with time dependent non-regular coefficients. The non-regularity here means less than Hölder, namely bounded coefficients. As for second order equations in [14] we prove that such equations admit a ‘very weak solution’ adapted to the type of solutions that exist for regular coefficients. The main idea in the construction of a very weak solution is the regularisation of the coefficients via convolution with a mollifier and a qualitative analysis of the corresponding family of classical solutions depending on the regularising parameter. Classical solutions are recovered as limit of very weak solutions. Finally, by using a reduction to block Sylvester form we conclude that any first order hyperbolic system with non-regular coefficients is solvable in the very weak sense.