Persistent regional null controllability for a class of degenerate parabolic equations (Q1767321)

It is considered the parabolic problem \[ u_t - (a(x)u_x)_x + c(x)u = f(t,x)\chi_{(\alpha,\beta)}(x),\quad (t,x)\in (0,T)\times(0,1) \] \[ \lim_{x\rightarrow 0}a(x)u_x(t,x) = 0,\quad t\in (0,T) \] \[ u(t,1) = 0,\;t\in (0,T);\quad u(0,x) = u_0(x),\;x\in(0,1) \] with \(u_0\in L^2(0,1)\), \(f\in L^2((0,T)\times(0,1))\). Because of the second condition the system is considered degenerate from the point of view of the null controllability. Regional and persistent regional null controllability are defined and corresponding criteria (controllability inequalities) proved. Further, the case of the unbounded domain \((0,\infty)\) is considered for the heat equation and controllability obtained for both regular and degenerate case (the Crocco equation).