Pointwise gradient estimates in multi-dimensional slow diffusion equations with a singular quenching term (Q2178824)

The authors study the singular degenerate parabolic problem \[ u_t-\Delta u^m+u^{-\beta} \kappa_{[u>0]} =0\quad\text{in }(0,+\infty)\times \Omega, \] \[ u^m=0\quad\text{on }(0,+\infty)\times \partial\Omega, \] together with initial data. Here \(\Omega\) is a smooth bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^N\) (with \(N>1)\), \(m>1\), \(0<\beta<m\), and \(k[A]\) denotes the characteristic function of the subset \(A\), extending results by Kawohl and Kersner for \(N=1\). They obtain pointwise gradient estimates for some values of \(N,m\) and \(\beta\), mostly when \(1\le m<2 +\beta\). A new kind of universal estimates for the gradients is proved for \(m+\beta\le 2\). The approach consists in an adaptation of the Bernstein method. They also proved existence of weak solutions. Results concerning some qualitative properties as finite time extinction, finite speed of propagation or instantaneous shrinking of the support of solutions are proved as well.