Single-point gradient blow-up on the boundary for diffusive Hamilton-Jacobi equation in domains with non-constant curvature (Q1989418)

Let \(\Omega\) be a smooth bounded domain of \(\mathbb{R}^2\) and \(p>2\). It is by now well-known that the initial-boundary value problem for the diffusive Hamilton-Jacobi equation \[ \partial_t u - \Delta u = |\nabla u|^p, \qquad t>0, \quad x\in \Omega, \] supplemented with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions and a non-negative initial condition \(u_0\in C^1(\overline{\Omega})\) satisfying \(u_0=0\) on \(\partial\Omega\), has a unique non-negative classical solution \(u\) defined up to some maximal time \(T\in (0,\infty]\). Moreover, gradient blow-up occurs at time \(T\) on the boundary of \(\Omega\) when \(T<\infty\). The possibility of having isolated gradient blow-up points for suitable initial conditions and their location are investigated in [\textit{L. Yuxiang} and \textit{P. Souplet}, Commun. Math. Phys. 293, No. 2, 499--517 (2010; Zbl 1218.35052)] when, either \(\Omega\) is a disk, or the boundary of \(\Omega\) contains a flat part, along with some symmetry assumptions on \(\Omega\). The purpose of the manuscript under review is to extend this result to a broader class of domains, which includes ellipses on the one hand, and domains still featuring some symmetry but without assuming the boundary to have a flat part on the other hand. In both cases, the isolated gradient blow-up point is identified and shown to be a local point of minimum of the curvature of the domain. The proof makes use of local estimates derived by comparison arguments with the help of boundary-fitted coordinates.