Exact solutions to nonlinear diffusion equations obtained by a generalized conditional symmetry method

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The aim of this paper is to discuss the reduction of nonlinear diffusion equations \[ u_t=(D(u)u_x)_x,\tag{1} \] where \(D(u)\) is the diffusion term, to Fujita's equation -- equation (1) with diffusion term in the form \(D(u)=1/(a_1+a_2u+a_3u^2)\), under certain types of generalized conditional symmetry. This method is a generalization of the conditional symmetry method [see \textit{G. W. Bluman} and \textit{J. D. Cole}, J. Math. Mech. 18, 1025-1042 (1969; Zbl 0187.03502)] which has been applied to seek exact solutions to nonlinear evolution equations [see \textit{A. S. Fokas} and \textit{Q. M. Liu}, Theor. Math. Phys. 99, 571-582 (1994) and Teor. Mat. Fiz. 99, 263-277 (1994; Zbl 0850.35097)]. It is shown that the nonlinear diffusion equation (1) can be reduced to Fujita's equation if it admits a class of generalized conditional symmetry: \(\sigma(t,x,u)\) is a generalized conditional symmetry of the equation \(u_t=K(t,u)\) if there exists a function \(A\) such that \(\frac{\partial u} {\partial t}+[K,\sigma]=A(t,x,u,\sigma), A(t,x,u,0)=0\), when \(u_t=K(t,u)\), where \([K,\sigma]=\sigma'K-K'\sigma\). As a consequence some new exact solutions to the equations \(u_t=(u^{-2}u_x)_x\), \(u_t=((u^2+1)^{-1}u_x)_x\), \(u_t=(u^{-1}u_x)_x\) are obtained. Many of the solutions are illustrated graphically.




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