The structure of solutions for a third order differential equation in boundary layer theory (Q2583113)

This article discusses a boundary value problem for the following third-order differential equation \[ f'''+[(\alpha+1)/2]f f''-\alpha {f'}^2=0. \tag{1} \] The question addressed arises in the study of self-similar solutions of the steady free convection problem for a vertical heated impermeable flat plate embedded in a porous medium. The authors classify all solutions of the initial data problem for (1) into 6 different families, so they obtain a detailed analysis of the structure of the solutions of the boundary value problem. The results are obtained transforming (1) into a second-order differential equation and using a comparison principle. Further information on the structure of solutions are obtained with a new change of variables that reduces (1) to a system of two equations of first order, and then performing phase portrait analysis. This way, they answer to some of the open questions proposed by \textit{Z. Belhachmi}, \textit{B. Brighi} and \textit{K. Taous} [Eur. J. Appl. Math. 12, No. 4, 513--528 (2001; Zbl 0991.76084)].