Nonexistence of solutions for nonlinear heat equations of fast-diffusion type (Q909106)

This paper studies the nonexistence of solutions with finite mass, i.e. such that \(\int u(x,t)dx\) is finite, for a certain type of nonlinear parabolic equations representing very fast diffusion. It is well known that for \(m>0\) the Cauchy problem \(u_ t=div(u^{m-1}\nabla u)\) in \({\mathbb{Q}}_ T={\mathbb{R}}^ N\times (0,T)\), \(T>0\), \(u(x,0)=u_ 0(x)\in L^ 1({\mathbb{R}}^ N)\) admits a unique solution \(u\in C([0,\infty):\) \(L^ 1({\mathbb{R}}^ N))\). We prove that this problem has no such solutions for \(m\leq 0\) if the space dimension is \(N\geq 3\), for \(m<0\) if \(N=2\) and for \(m\leq -1\) if \(N=1\). Moreover, we explain the nonexistence through the formation of an initial layer, across which the solution goes to 0, for some approximate problems. In order to settle the question of solvability of the Cauchy problem for all \(m\in {\mathbb{R}}\) we also discuss the case \(N=2\), \(m=0\) and obtain a new existence result. The same technique is then used to prove that the initial and boundary- value problem with homogeneous Dirichlet data posed in a bounded domain has no integrable solution for \(m\leq 0\) and \(N\geq 1.\) Finally, we consider the related elliptic problem \(-div(\phi (u))+u=f\), \(\phi\) monotone nondecreasing, with similar conclusions.