Analysis of the loss of boundary conditions for the diffusive Hamilton-Jacobi equation (Q1679692)

Let \(\Omega\) be a smooth and bounded domain of \(\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\geq 1\), and consider a non-negative function \(u_0\in C^1(\overline{\Omega})\) such that \(u_0=0\) on \(\partial\Omega\). The solvability of the initial-boundary value problem \[ \begin{aligned} \partial_t u - \Delta u & = |\nabla u|^p, \quad t>0, \;x\in\Omega, \\ u & = 0, \quad t>0, \;x\in\partial\Omega, \cr u(0,x) & = u_0(x), \quad \;x\in\Omega, \end{aligned} \] for \(p>2\) has been thoroughly investigated and the following is known: there is a unique non-negative viscosity solution \(u\in C([0,\infty)\times \overline{\Omega})\cap C^{1,2}((0,\infty)\times\Omega)\) and there are \(0 < T_*\leq T_0 \leq \infty\) (depending on \(u_0\)) such that \(u\) is a classical solution in \((0,T_*)\times\Omega\) and \((T_0,\infty)\times\Omega\), that is, \(u\in C^{1,2}((T_0,\infty)\times\overline{\Omega})\), \[ u\in C([0,T_*)\times\overline{\Omega})\cap C^{1,2}((0,T_*)\times\overline{\Omega}), \quad \nabla u \in C([0,T_*)\times\overline{\Omega}), \] and \(u(t,x)=0\) for \(t\in [0,T_*]\cup [T_0,\infty)\) and \(x\in\partial\Omega\). Furthermore, if \(T_*<\infty\), then gradient blowup occurs, i.e. \(\|\nabla u(t)\|_\infty\to\infty\) as \(t\nearrow T_*\) and the blowup takes place on the boundary. When \(t\in (T_*,T_0)\), the boundary conditions are satisfied in the viscosity sense and \(u(t)\) may take positive values on \(\partial\Omega\). Whether this phenomenon takes place and how is studied in the paper under review and shown to depend strongly on \(u_0\). Introducing \[ \mathcal{L}(u_0) := \{ x\in \partial\Omega\;:\;\text{ there is } t>0 \text{ such that } u(t,x)>0\}, \] there exists at least one initial condition \(u_0\) such that \(T_*<\infty\), \(\mathcal{L}(u_0)=\partial\Omega\) and \(u(t_0,x)\geq c_0>0\) for all \(x\in \partial\Omega\) for some \(t_0\in (T_*,T_0)\) and \(c_0\). Moreover, there is at least one initial condition \(u_0\) for which \(\mathcal{L}(u_0)\) is empty and \(u(t,x)=0\) for all \((t,x)\in (0,\infty)\times\partial\Omega\). Additional results on the structure of \(\mathcal{L}(u_0)\) are provided according to the properties of \(u_0\).