Classical solutions and higher regularity for nonlinear fractional diffusion equations (Q2359442)

Summary: We study the regularity properties of the solutions to the nonlinear equation with fractional diffusion \[ \partial_tu+(-\Delta)^{\sigma/2}\varphi(u)=0, \] posed for \(x\in\mathbb{R}^N\) and \(t>0\), with \(0<\sigma<2\) and \(N\geq1\). If the nonlinearity satisfies some not very restrictive conditions: \(\varphi\in C^{1,\gamma}(\mathbb{R})\) with \(1+\gamma>\sigma\), and \(\varphi'(u)>0\) for every \(u\in\mathbb{R}\), we prove that bounded weak solutions are classical solutions for all positive times. We also explore sufficient conditions on the non-linearity to obtain higher regularity for the solutions, even \(C^\infty\) regularity. Degenerate and singular cases, including the power nonlinearity \(\varphi(u)=|u|^{m-1}u\), \(m>0\), are also considered, and the existence of positive classical solutions until the possible extinction time if \(m<\frac{N-\sigma}{N},\,N>\sigma\), and for all times otherwise, is proved.