The characterization of reaction-convection-diffusion processes by travelling waves (Q1906995)

The main goal of this paper is to study the following nonlinear equation \[ u_t= (a(u))_{ss}+ (b(u))_s+ c(u),\quad 0\leq s< \infty,\tag{1} \] where \(a\) is continuous and strictly increasing on \([0, \infty)\), \(b\) is continuous on \([0, \infty)\), \(c\) is integrable in sense of Lebesgue-Stieltjes on every compact subset of \([0, \infty)\), and \(a(0)= b(0)= c(0)= 0\). The authors point out that if (1) has an appropriate travelling wave solution with an interface then the nonlinear Volterra integral equation \[ \theta(s)= \lambda s+ b(s)- \int^s_0 c(r)/\theta(r) da(r)\tag{2} \] must have a solution on an interval \([0, \delta)\) such that \[ \int^\delta_0 1/\theta(s) da(s)< \infty,\quad\text{for some } \delta\in (0, \infty).\tag{3} \] Thus formally in (2) and (3) the authors give a necessary and sufficient criterion for the local existence of a particular travelling wave solution of (1).