Blow-up of solutions of semilinear parabolic differential equations (Q1113011)

The Dirichlet initial boundary value problem for parabolic equations of type \(u_ t-Lu=h(x,t)f(u)\) (where \(L=a_{ij}(x,t)D_{ij}+b_ i(x,t)D_ i)\) is considered. Using comparison functions, we establish criteria on blow-up of the solution in finite time and give bounds for the blow-up time. Applications in both bounded and unbounded domains are treated. The most significant example is the domain \({\mathbb{R}}^ n_ k=\{x|\) \(x_ i>0\), \(i=1,...,k\}\) (0\(\leq k\leq n)\), for which we also give sufficient conditions for the existence of global solutions. We obtain a generalization of Fujita's well-known result for the case \(L=\Delta\), \(f(u)=u^ p\).