Global existence of smooth solutions and stability of solitary waves for a generalized Boussinesq equation

Certain generalizations of one of the classical Boussinesq-type equations, $$u_{tt} = u_{xx} - (u^2 + u_{xx} )_{xx} $$ are considered. It is shown that the initial-value problem for this type of equation is always locally well posed. It is also determined that the special, solitary-wave solutions of these equations are nonlinearly stable for a range of their phase speeds. These two facts lead to the conclusion that initial data lying relatively close to a stable solitary wave evolves into a global solution of these equations. This contrasts with the results of blow-up obtained recently by Kalantarov and Ladyzhenskaya for the same type of equation, and casts additional light upon the results for the original version (*) of this class of equations obtained via inverse-scattering theory by Deift, Tomei and Trubowitz.