Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 July 2007
In this paper, we consider the Cauchy problem of general symmetrizable hyperbolic systems in multi-dimensional space. When some components of the initial data have compact support, we give a sufficient condition on the non-existence of global C1 solutions. This non-existence theorem can be applied to some physical systems, such as Euler equations for compressible flow in multi-dimensional space. The blow-up phenomena here can come from the singularity developed at the interface, such as vacuum boundary, rather than the shock formation as studied in the previous works on strictly hyperbolic systems. Therefore, the systems considered here include those which are non-strictly hyperbolic.