Published July 8, 2025 | Published
Journal Article Open

Singularity formation in 3D Euler equations with smooth initial data and boundary

  • 1. ROR icon Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
  • 2. ROR icon California Institute of Technology

Abstract

A long-standing fundamental open problem in mathematical fluid dynamics and nonlinear partial differential equations is to determine whether solutions of the 3D incompressible Euler equations can develop a finite-time singularity from smooth, finite-energy initial data. Leonhard Euler introduced these equations in 1757 [L. Euler, Mémoires de l'Académie des Sci. de Berlin 11 , 274–315 (1757).], and they are closely linked to the Navier–Stokes equations and turbulence. While the general singularity formation problem remains unresolved, we review a recent computer-assisted proof of finite-time, nearly self-similar blowup for the 2D Boussinesq and 3D axisymmetric Euler equations in a smooth bounded domain with smooth initial data. The proof introduces a framework for (nearly) self-similar blowup, demonstrating the nonlinear stability of an approximate self-similar profile constructed numerically via the dynamical rescaling formulation.

Copyright and License

2025 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).

Acknowledgement

The work of J.C. was in part supported by the NSF Grant DMS-2408098. The research of T.Y.H. was in part supported by NSF Grant DMS-2205590 and the Choi Family Gift Fund. We would like to thank Russel E. Caflisch, Javier Gómez-Serrano, Vladimir Sverak, and Terence C. Tao for many constructive comments and suggestions for the original manuscript, which greatly improve the quality of our paper.

Additional Information

This contribution is part of the special series of Inaugural Articles by members of the National Academy of Sciences elected in 2024.

Files

chen-hou-singularity-formation-in-3d-euler-equations-with-smooth-initial-data-and-boundary.pdf

Additional details

Created:
July 2, 2025
Modified:
July 2, 2025