DISTRIBUTED ORDER FRACTIONAL SUB-DIFFUSION (Q5719310)

Let \(D^\nu_t\) denote the Caputo fractional derivative of order \(\nu\) with respect to \(t\). The article is devoted to the analysis of the distributed order fractional sub-diffusion, by considering the equation \[ \int_0^1 C(\nu)D_t^\nu u(x,t)d\nu = \frac{\partial^2}{\partial x^2}u(x,t). \] The Dirichlet problem, i.e., \(u(x,0)=f(x)\), \(u(0,0)=u(1,0)=0\), the Neumann problem, i.e., \(u(x,0)=f(x)\), \(\frac{\partial}{\partial x} u(x,t)|_{x=0}= \frac{\partial}{\partial x} u(x,t)|_{x=1}=0\), and the Cauchy problem, i.e., \(u(x,0)=f(x)\), \(| u(x,t)| <M\), \(x\in\mathbb R\), \(t>0\), are considered. General solutions for each of the three problems are given. The spatial component of these solutions is the same as in the non-fractional case. The time dependent part of all three solutions depends on the same functional expression. The author derives upper and lower bounds for this functional expression. Both bounds are monotonically decreasing functions of \(t\). Moreover, examples for comparative decay rates are worked out.