Decay bounds in initial-boundary value problems for nonlinear parabolic systems (Q1612611)

The authors consider semilinear parabolic problems of the form \[ u^i_t= \Delta u^i+\varphi_i(u) \text{ in }\Omega\times (0,\infty),\;\Omega \subset\mathbb{R}^N,\;u=(u^1,\dots,u^n), \tag{1} \] with given initial value and zero Dirichlet data on \(\partial\Omega\). It is shown that under appropriate assumptions one has a decay bound of the form \(u^iu^i\leq K\cdot e^{-\alpha t}\), where \(\alpha< \lambda_1=\) first eigenvalue of \(\Delta\) under Dirichlet boundary conditions. For convex domains with \(C^{2+ \varepsilon}\) boundary one has a bound of the form \(u^i_{,j},u^i_{,j} +\beta u^iu^i \leq(\widehat K+Bt)e^{-\alpha t}\) for explicitly given constants \(K\), \(\widehat K\), \(B\). Here \(,j\) denote derivatives and the summation convention is used. They prove also similar results for the case that \(\varphi_i(u)= {\partial\Phi (u)\over\partial u^i}\) and a system of two functions: \[ \begin{aligned} d_1\Delta u^1+ u_1\Phi_1(u) & = u^1_{,t} \\ d_2\Delta u^2+u^2 \Phi_2(u) & =u^2_{,t}. \end{aligned} \] In all cases considered the restrictions are such that the solutions exist for all time.