Fujita type results for a class of degenerate parabolic operators (Q1575813)

This paper is concerned with the existence of global nonnegative solutions of the Cauchy problem in \(\mathbb{R}^N\times(0,\infty)\) for semilinear degenerate parabolic equations of the form \(Lu = -u^p\) with \(p >1\), where \(L =\text{div}(A\nabla) + x\cdot BV - \partial_t\) with constant real \(N\times N\) matrices \(A\) and \(B\). The author assumes that \(L\) is hypoelliptic. Denote by \(\mathcal L\) the set of such operators \(L\). An example of \(L\) is a strongly degenerate operator \(\partial^2_{x_1} + x_1\partial_{x_2}+\cdots +x_{N-1}\partial_{x_N}-\partial_t\). When \(L = \Delta-\partial_t(\in{\mathcal L})\) (the heat operator), Fujita proved that if \(p< 1+\frac 2N\), then the only nonnegative global (in time) solution of the Cauchy problem is \(u\equiv 0\), and he also proved that if \(p > 1+\frac 2N\) then there exist positive global solutions of the Cauchy problem for every sufficiently small initial data. The number \(p^*= 1+\frac 2N\) is called the critical exponent for the Cauchy problem for \(L=\Delta-\partial_t\). Further it was proved by Hayakawa and by Kobayashi-Sirao-Tanaka that if \(p= p^*\) then the only nonnegative global solution of the Cauchy problem is \(u\equiv 0\). The purpose of this paper is to prove the results for general \(L\in{\mathcal L}\), corresponding to those of Fujita. The critical exponent for \(L\in{\mathcal L}\) is given explicitly, and there exists a subclass \({\mathcal L}_0\) of \(\mathcal L\) such that if \(p\) equals the critical exponent for \(L\in{\mathcal L}_0\), then the only nonnegative global solution of the Cauchy problem is \(u\equiv 0\). To prove theorems, the author uses fundamental solutions for \(L\in{\mathcal L}\), which have been explicitly constructed by \textit{L. Hörmander} [Acta Math. 119, 147-171 (1967; Zbl 0156.10701)] and by \textit{L. P. Kuptsov} [Math. Notes 31, 283-289 (1982); translation from Mat. Zametki 31, 559-570 (1982; Zbl 0507.35045)].