New exact solutions to the one-dimensional nonlinear diffusion equation (Q1375036)

The goal of the article is to construct a class of exact solutions to the parabolic equations \[ u_t = (K(u)u_x)_x \eqno{(1)} \] and \[ u_t = (K(u)u_x)_x + Q(u). \eqno{(2)} \] The equations are considered over \( \Omega \times \mathbb R^+,\) where \( \Omega \) is a domain in \( \mathbb R^1.\) The function \(K(s)\) is assumed to satisfy the conditions that guarantee positivity of every solution to (1). Equations (1) and (2) are reduced to an equivalent special nonlinear system of differential equations of the first order and the authors derive exact solutions to the equations, making use of this system. The case \(K(u) = u^{ \lambda}\), \(Q(u) = \beta u + \alpha u^{1 - \lambda}\), with reals \( \alpha\), \(\beta \), and \( \lambda \neq 0 \), is considered in detail. Explicit solutions to equations (1) and (2), with simple \(K(u)\) and \(Q(u)\) given, are presented as examples.