Regularity of the interfaces with sign changes of solutions of the one-dimensional porous medium equation (Q5957785)

Let \(u=u(x,t)\) be the solution of the Cauchy problem for the one-dimensional evolution \(p\)-Laplace equation \(\partial_tu=\partial_x(|\partial_xu|^{p-2}\partial_xu)\) in \(\mathbb{R}\times \mathbb{R}^+\) and \(u(x,0)=u_0(x)\) in \(\mathbb{R}\), with \(u_0\geq 0\), bouded and compactly supported in \(\mathbb{R}\). Let \(C(t)\) be the set of the spatial critical points of \(u\) where \(u\) is positive. It is known that there exists a time \(T\) such that for \(t>T\), \(C(t)=\{x(t)\}\) consists of the unique spatial maximum point of \(u(\cdot,t)\). Putting \(v=\partial_xu\), then \(v\) satisfies the porous medium equation with sign changes \(\partial_tv=\partial_x^2(|v|^{p-2}v)\) in \(\mathbb{R}\times \mathbb{R}^+\). Therefore, the curve \(x=x(t)\) may be regarded as an interface with sign changes of the solution \(v\) of the porous medium equation. This equation has been investigated by \textit{M. Bertsch} and \textit{D. Hilhorst} [Appl. Anal. 41, No. 1-4, 111-130 (1991; Zbl 0675.76094)], where they prove that, assuming certain monotonicity conditions on the initial function, there exist a time \(T\) after which the region where \(u<0\) and \(u>0\) are separated by an interface \(x=x(t)\) such that \(x(t)\) is continuously differentiable for \(t>T\). In the present paper, the regularity of the interface is investigated without assuming the a priori monotonicity of the initial function. More precisely, by comparing the solution \(u(x,t)\) with appropriate symmetric solutions, the monotonicity near the interface after a finite time \(T\) is proved. After this, the method of Bertsch and Hilhorst applies. As a by-product of this result, the \(C^1\) regularity of the curve of the spatial maximum points of the solution of the Cauchy problem for the evolution \(p\)-Laplace equation for sufficiently large \(t\) follows.