Second-order type-changing evolution equations with first-order intermediate equations

Abstract This paper presents a partial classification for C ∞ type-changing symplectic Monge–Ampere partial differential equations (PDEs) that possess an infinite set of first-order intermediate PDEs. The normal forms will be quasi-linear evolution equations whose types change from hyperbolic to either parabolic or to zero. The zero points can be viewed as analogous to singular points in ordinary differential equations. In some cases, intermediate PDEs can be used to establish existence of solutions for ill-posed initial value problems.