Comparison results for solutions of parabolic equations (Q1331675)

The author studies a Cauchy-Dirichlet problem for the parabolic equation \[ u_t - (a_{ij} (x,t) u_{x_i})_{x_j} + (b_i(x,t)u)_{x_i} + d_i(x,t) u_{x_i} + c(xt)u = f(x,t),\text{ in }\Omega \times (0,T), \] where \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) is a bounded open set, and \(T\) is a real positive number. Under suitable assumptions on the coefficients, a comparison result between a solution \(u\) of such a Cauchy-Dirichlet problem and the solution of a Cauchy-Dirichlet problem with coefficients and data spherically symmetric with respect to \(x\) is stated. In order to obtain the result, first an integro-differential inequality satisfied by the rearrangement \(u^*\) of \(u\) is proved, then, via a maximum principle, the desired estimates follow. This comparison result provides optimal bounds for \(\sup_{x \in \Omega} |u(x,t) |\) in terms of a similar norm of the solution of the ``symmetrized'' problem.