Instantaneous shrinking of supports for nonlinear absorption-convection equations (Q1283005)

The author considers nonnegative solutions of the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear equation: \[ \frac{\partial u}{\partial t} + \frac {\partial \varphi(u)}{\partial x} +f(u)=0, \] where \(\varphi\) is an increasing function with infinite derivative at \(0\), and \(f\) is a nonnegative function which vanishes at \(0\). The partial derivative of \(\varphi\) represents a singular convection while \(f\) represents absorption. Under various, simple hypotheses on these functions, it is shown that the solution must be either positive or zero in suitable regions of \((x,t)\)-space. Here we give two examples: if \(\varphi'/f\) is not integrable at zero, and if \(u\) is initially larger than some positive number on an interval of the form \([a,\infty)\), then \(u\) is positive for \(x>a\) and all \(t>0\); while if \(\varphi'/f\) is integrable at zero, then there is a nonnegative number \(\tau_+\) (determined explicitly in terms of the data) and a function \(R(t)\) defined for \(t>\tau_+\) such that \(u(x,t)=0\) if \(t>\tau_+\) and \(x>R(t)\). The second result is called ``instantaneous shrinking from the right''. Similar results are derived for shrinking from the left although the conditions implying such shrinking are not so simple. The paper concludes by applying the results in the special case that \(\varphi\) and \(f\) are given by power laws. The method of proof is based on the comparison principle and some cleverly chosen comparison functions.