Convergence results for a coarsening model using global linearization (Q1402405)

In this article, a one-dimensional model of a coarsening process is carefully investigated. The model mimics the dynamics of interfaces in the one-dimensional Allen-Cahn equation which can be viewed itself as a coarsening or coagulation model. The process under consideration works as follows: it starts from a partition of the real line into intervals of length greater than one. Then, the interval of minimal length is merged with \(j \geq 1\) randomly chosen intervals of the partition and the next merging occurs. The probability distribution \(p_1,\ldots,p_N\) describing the likelihood of a merging with \(j\) intervals can be chosen arbitrarily. Given such a coarsening model, the main task is to predict the long-time evolution of the size distribution of the cells. The authors prove that, if the average length of the intervals is finite, all distributions approach a uniquely determined self-similar solution. They also obtain global stability results for the family of self-similar profiles which correspond to distributions with infinite expectation. The proofs are based on the fact that the solutions of the (rescaled) nonlinear coarsening equation can be regarded as images of solutions to a linear transport equation under a particular nonlinear mapping.