An integral for a reaction-diffusion system (Q1174932)

An unusual method for the analysis of a class of reaction-diffusion systems is presented. Through an integration the system is reduced to a single reaction-diffusion equation with inhomogeneous terms arising from the initial conditions. The class of systems is \(u_ t=-f(u)v\), \(v_ t=k(u)v-bv+\Delta v\) with initial conditions \(u(x,0)=u_ 0(x)\), \(v(x,0)=v_ 0(x)\). The trick is to introduce the variable \(w\) given by \(w(x,t)=\int_ 0^ t v(x,\tau)d\tau\). Using the first equation to obtain a relationship between \(u\) and \(w\), the second may then be integrated to obtain \(w_ t=v_ 0+g(w,u_ 0)-bw+\Delta w\). This may be analysed by standard techniques. Some applications in epidemiology, chemistry, mycology and ecology are given. The results concern the existence and stability of travelling wave solutions for various systems in the class. These systems exhibit a bifurcation: for certain values of the parameters no travelling wave exists, but for others such a wave may be triggered by arbitrarily small perturbations from a steady state. Applications are given to the introduction of infectives into a population of susceptibles, the initiation of an autocatalytic chemical reaction, introduction of a fungus into a nutrient medium, and introduction of predators into a population of prey.