The mesa problem for the fractional porous medium equation (Q500885)

The solutions of the Cauchy problem for the fractional porous medium equation \(u_t+(-\Delta)^s(u^m)=0\) with the initial data \(u_0(x)=u(x,0)\geq 0\), \(s\in(0,1)\), \(x\in{\mathbb R}^N\), \(t>0\), are studied in the limit \(m\to\infty\). The first result is that the limit of self-similar Barenblatt-type solutions \(U_m\) is not compactly supported (as is for the classical porous medium equation with \(s=1\)) but exhibits an algebraically decaying tail. This limit is identified with a solution of a fractional obstacle problem, the so-called mesa with a tail. Then, the limit as \(m\to\infty\) of \(mtU_m^m(x,t)\) is related to self-similar solutions of another fractional porous medium equation \(u_t=\nabla\cdot(u\nabla(-\Delta)^{-\sigma/2}u)\) with an explicit, compactly supported profile. Finally, for a general bounded and integrable \(u_0\geq 0\), the passage to the limit \(m\to\infty\) leads to \(u_\infty=\lim_{m\to\infty} u_m=u_0\) whenever \(u_0\leq 1\), while \(u_\infty(x,t)=1\) a.e. in \(\{ x: u_0(x)\geq 1\}\). Hence, by the conservation of mass property \(\int u(x,t)\, dx=\int u_0(x)\, dx\), this implies that \(u_\infty(x)>u_0(x)\) in a set of positive measure. Some remarks on a negative result for symmetrization of solutions and their consequences for expected comparison and propagation properties (quite different than for the classical porous medium equation) are also given.