Instantaneous shrinking of the support for solutions to certain parabolic equations and systems (Q1267758)

Suppose \(w\) is a continuous nonnegative function defined on \(\mathbb{R}\times [0,\infty)\), and define \(\zeta(t;w)= \sup\{| x|:w(x,t) >0\}\). If \(\zeta(0;w)= \infty\) and \(\zeta(t;w) <\infty\) for \(t>0\) then \(w\) is said to have an instantaneous shrinking of its support (ISS). It has been known for some time [for example \textit{L. C. Evans} and \textit{B. F. Knerr}, Ill. J. Math. 23, 153-166 (1979; Zbl 0403.35052)] that the solution \(u\) of the initial value problem \[ \partial_tu- \partial^2_x u+| u|^p \text{sign} u=0,\;x\in\mathbb{R}, \;t>0;\quad u(x,0)=f(x),\;x\in\mathbb{R}, \] where \(p>0\) and \(f\) is positive and vanishes at \(\infty\), has the ISS property if and only if \(p<1\). This paper is concerned with a class of semilinear parabolic systems for which the solution exhibit ISS. In particular, the author gives conditions under which either one or both components \(u_1\) and \(u_2\) of the solution of \(\partial_tu_i- \partial^2_xu_i +| u_1|^{p_{i1}}| u_2 |^{p_{i2}} \text{sign} u_i=0\), \(x\in\mathbb{R}\), \(t>0\); \(u_i(x,0)=f_i(x)\), \(x\in\mathbb{R}\), have the ISS property, thus extending previous work [\textit{A. S. Kalashnikov}, Math. Notes 47, No. 1, 49-53 (1990); translation from Mat. Zametki 47, No. 1, 74-80 (1990; Zbl 0702.35022)]. The results are proved by judicious use of the maximum principle for the heat equation.