Blow-up of solutions of nonlinear heat equations (Q1107725)

This paper concerns the non-global existence of solutions to the equation \(u_ t-u_{xx}=f(u),\) \(-a<x<a\), \(t>0\), \(u(\pm a,t)=0\), \(t>0\), \(u(x,0)=\phi (x)\), \(-a<x<a\). It is assumed that \(f\in C^ 1({\mathbb{R}})\), f(u)\(\geq 0\), and f satisfies the superlinearity conditions (1/u)f(u)\(\to \infty\) as \(u\to \infty\) and \(\int^{\infty}du/f(u)<\infty\). It is assumed that \(\phi\geq 0\), \(\phi (\pm a)=0\), and \(\phi\) (x) has at most two local maxima. Define the blow-up set \(S=\{x:\) there exist \((x_ n,t_ n)\), \(-a<x_ n<a\), \(x_ n\to x\), \(t_ n\to T\), such that \(u(x_ n,t_ n)\to \infty \}\). The main result establishes that S consists of one or two points. Some generalizations of the main result are discussed.