Finite propagation speed for solutions of the parabolic \(p\)-Laplace equation on manifolds (Q819551)

The class of degenerate parabolic equations \[ u_t = \text{div} (| \nabla u| ^{p-2} \nabla u) \] with \(u=u(x,t)\), \(x\in M\), \(t\geq 0\), is considered on a Riemannian manifold \(M\). The assumption \(p>2\) is made and the question is considered in how far solutions of this non-linear generalisation of the heat equation are sensitive to the geometry. It is shown that on arbitrary manifolds, bounded solutions of such equations have finite propagation speed; the rate of propagation can be estimated in terms of bounds on the Ricci curvature. The proof depends on a local analogue of the relevant Sobolev inequality in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and not on the global geometry on \(M\).