We prove the global-in-time existence of nonnegative weak solutions to a class of fourth order partial differential equations on a convex bounded domain in arbitrary spatial dimensions. Our proof relies on the formal gradient flow structure of the equation with respect to the L 2 -Wasserstein distance on the space of probability measures. We construct a weak solution by approximation via the time-discrete minimizing movement scheme; necessary compactness estimates are derived by entropy-dissipation methods. Our theory essentially comprises the thin film and Derrida-Lebowitz-Speer-Spohn equations.

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