We introduce an approach to study certain singular partial differential equations (PDEs) which is based on techniques from paradifferential calculus and on ideas from the theory of controlled rough paths. We illustrate its applicability on some model problems such as differential equations driven by fractional Brownian motion, a fractional Burgers-type stochastic PDE (SPDE) driven by space-time white noise, and a nonlinear version of the parabolic Anderson model with a white noise potential.

We generalize Lyons’ rough paths theory in order to give a pathwise meaning to some nonlinear infinite-dimensional evolution equation associated to an analytic semigroup and driven by an irregular noise. As an illustration, we discuss a class of linear and nonlinear 1d SPDEs driven by a space–time Gaussian noise with singular space covariance and Brownian time dependence.