  In this paper we consider the classical initial value problem for the bosonic
membrane in light cone gauge. A Hamiltonian reduction gives a system with one
constraint, the area preserving constraint. The Hamiltonian evolution equations
corresponding to this system, however, fail to be hyperbolic. Making use of the
area preserving constraint, an equivalent system of evolution equations is
found, which is hyperbolic and has a well-posed initial value problem. We are
thus able to solve the initial value problem for the Hamiltonian evolution
equations by means of this equivalent system. We furthermore obtain a blowup
criterion for the membrane evolution equations, and show, making use of the
constraint, that one may achieve improved regularity estimates.
