Similarity Solutions for a Nonlinear Model of the Heat Equation (Q4949319)

The paper consists of two sections. In the first section the Lie similarity method is used to find similarity solutions of the inhomogeneous nonlinear diffusion equation in the form \[ f(x)\,\frac{\partial u(x,t)}{\partial t} = \frac{\partial}{\partial x}\,(g(x) u^nu_x^q), \] when \(\,f(x) = x^p\), \(\,g(x) = x^m\), and \(p\), \(m\) and \(q\) are arbitrary constants. In the second section the method of group-invariant solution [\textit{G. W. Bluman and J. D. Cole}, ``Similarity methods for differential equations'', Springer, Berlin (1974; Zbl 0292.35001)] is applied to determine new classes of similarity reduction of the case when \(f=a^2=\text{const}\), \(g=1\) and \(n\), \(q\) are arbitrary, in addition to the previously known ones [\textit{H. Pascal}, J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 25, No.~4, 939--948 (1992; Zbl 0755.35051)].