On rates of propagation for Burgers' equation (Q1284723)

Let \(u\) be a solution of Burgers' equation \[ u_t+ uu_x= Du_{xx}\quad\text{on }\mathbb{R}\times ]0,\infty[ \] that satisfies the initial condition \(u(\cdot,0)= f\), where \(f\) is a continuous, nonnegative function with compact support \(S\). If \(x\) lies outside \(S\), then \(u(x,\cdot)\) is initially zero, increases to a maximum at some time \(\tau(x)\), and decays to zero again. The asymptotic behaviour of \(\tau(x)\) as \(x\to\infty\) is the subject of the paper under review. It is shown that \(\tau(x)\sim T^{\pm}x^2\) as \(x\to\pm\infty\), where \(T^{\pm}\) are constants that depend only on \(\int_{\mathbb{R}} f(x) dx\) and \(D\). Comparisons are made with similar results for solutions of the heat equation, which were obtained earlier by \textit{W. A. Day} [Q. Appl. Math. 55, No. 1, 127-138 (1997; Zbl 0886.35068) and ibid. No. 3, 565-572 (1997)].