Nontrivial ordered \(\omega\)-limit sets in a linear degenerate parabolic equation (Q2372745)

The following initial-boundary value problem: \[ \begin{cases} u_t=a(x) (\Delta u+ \lambda_1u)\quad\text{in }\Omega\times(0,\infty),\\ u|_{\partial\Omega}=0,\;u|_{t=0}=u_0\end{cases}\tag{1} \] is considered in a smooth bounded domain \(\Omega \subset\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\geq 1\). Here a is a Hölder continuous function on \(\overline\Omega\) and positive in \(\Omega\), \(\lambda_1>0\) denotes the smallest eigenvalue of \(-\Delta\) in \(\Omega\) with Dirichlet data. The stabilization of solutions of problem (1) is investigated. More precisely, it is shown that if \(\int_\Omega\frac {(\text{dist}(x,\partial\Omega))^2}{a(x)}\,dx<\infty\), then any solution emanating from initial data \(u_0\in W^{1,\infty}(\Omega)\) converges to some stationary solution of (1) in \(L^2(\Omega)\) as \(t\to\infty\). Conversely, if \(\int_\Omega\frac{(\text{dist}(x,\partial\Omega))^2} {a(x)}\,dx=\infty\) then, there exists initial data \(u_0\in W^{1,\infty} (\Omega)\) such that the solution of (1) is bounded but not convergent as \(t\to\infty\). It has a totally ordered \(\omega\)-limit set as \(t\to\infty\) which is not a singleton, where the definition of \(\omega\)-limit set is given by \[ \omega(u_0):=\{w\in L^2(\Omega): u(\cdot,t_k)\to w\text{ in }L^2(\Omega)\text{ for some }t_k\to\infty\}. \]