Uniqueness properties of solutions to the Benjamin-Ono equation and related models

Abstract

We prove that if u1,u2 are real solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation defined in (x,t)∈R×[0,T] which agree in an open set Ω⊂R×[0,T], then u1≡u2. We extend this uniqueness result to a general class of equations of Benjamin-Ono type in both the initial value problem and the initial periodic boundary value problem. This class of 1-dimensional non-local models includes the intermediate long wave equation. We relate our uniqueness results with those for a water wave problem. Finally, we present a slightly stronger version of our uniqueness results for the Benjamin-Ono equation.