On a singularly perturbed, time-dependent free boundary problem (Q1826044)

The authors consider the asymptotic behaviour of the solution of the free boundary problem: \[ \partial u/\partial t-\epsilon \partial^ 2u/\partial x^ 2+u-f\leq 0,\quad u\leq 0,\quad a.e.\quad in\quad Q, \] \[ (\partial u/\partial t-\epsilon \partial^ 2u/\partial x^ 2+u-f)\cdot u=0 \] \[ u(x,0)=\bar u(x)\quad for\quad x\in I\quad and\quad u=0\quad on\quad B, \] where \(I=(0,1)\), \(Q=I\times (0,T)\), \(B=\partial I\times (0,T).\) The structure of a formal approximation of its solution and free boundary is discussed for \(\epsilon\) \(\downarrow 0\), and the concrete error is estimated in the maximum norm. It shows that the free boundary of the reduced problem is O(\(\sqrt{\epsilon})\) close to the unknown free boundary of the given problem.