Carleman estimates and null controllability for a degenerate population model (Q1639204)

The author deals with a degenerate model describing the dynamics of a population depending on time, on age and on space. It is assumed that the degeneracy can occur at the boundary or in the interior of the space domain. First, the well-posedness of the problem is studied. Then, the author deduces a Carleman estimate for the non-de\-ge\-ne\-rate problem in non-divergence form and studies the Carleman estimates in the case that degenerates at the boundary of the state space or in the interior, respectively. Finally, the author proves null controllability via a null controllability result for an intermediate system, observability inequalities and cut off functions.