A degenerate diffusion problem not in divergence form (Q1263735)

The authors investigate nonnegative solutions to the Dirichlet initial- boundary value problem for the equation \(u_ t=u\Delta u+g(u),\) which has been proposed in a biological model. After obtaining the existence of a weak solution u, it is proved that the support of u is nonexpanding in time and that the zero extension in space of u to any larger domain is still a solution. Uniqueness fails dramatically since there exists, for every \(\delta >0\), a weak solution with extinction time \(\delta\). Nevertheless, there is a unique maximal solution which is characterized by the property that its support remains constant in time. (For other solutions the support is shrinking.) The existence proof is based on the estimate \[ \int u^{-a} | \text{grad} u|^ 2 dx dt<C_ a\text{ if }0<a<1 \] obtained formally multiplying the equation by \(u^{-a}\). (This reviewer believes that the introduction of negative powers of u is also a fruitful idea for other highly degenerate equations.) A related paper is that of \textit{M. Ughi} [Ann. Math. Pura Appl., IV. Ser. 143, 385-400 (1986; Zbl 0617.35066)]. The above striking properties are due to the strong degeneracy produced by the factor u of the form \(u\Delta u\). The study of ``superdegenerate'' second order parabolic equations is pursued by \textit{M. Bertsch}, the first author and \textit{M. Ughi} [Nonlinear diffusion equations and their equilibrium states I, Proc. Microprogram, Berkeley/Calif. 1986, Publ., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. 12, 147-159 (1988; Zbl 0671.35048)], in [``Discontinuous viscosity solutions of a degenerate parabolic equation'' (to appear in Trans. Am. Math. Soc.)] and in other forthcoming papers. These authors consider the equations \(u_ t=u\Delta u-\gamma | \text{grad} u|^ 2\) and \(u_ t=u^{\alpha}\Delta u,\) which are ``superdegenerate'' if \(\gamma\geq 0\) and \(\alpha\geq 1\), respectively. If \(\gamma <0\) or \(\alpha <1\) they can be reduced, roughly speaking, to the porous media equation \(u_ t=\Delta(u^ m),\) \(m>1\).