On a free boundary problem for the curvature flow with driving force (Q5962885)

The authors study the solutions to the planar curvature flow \(u_t=\frac{u_{xx}}{1+u_x^2} + c \sqrt{1+u_x^2}\), \(c>0\), where the curve \(y=u(x)\) is restricted to the upper half plane such that its endpoints slide freely along the \(x\)-axis with prescribed contact angles. Note that, if \(c=0\), the equation corresponds to the curve shrinking flow. The main result characterizes the asymptotic behavior of solutions. This is dependent on the balance between the curvature and the driving force. If the curvature dominates, the curve shrinks to a point in finite time as in the \(c=0\) case and, while it does so, it approaches asymptotically a self-similar solution. If the driving force dominates the curvature, then the curve expands for all time, also approaching a self-similar solution. In the intermediate case, the curve remains bounded and converges to a stationary solution or to a traveling wave solution. The methods for proving the asymptotic behavior are different in each case. In the bounded case, an important ingredient of the proof is an extended intersection number principle which, as the classical intersection number principle, states that the intersection number between two solutions does not increase in time. In the expanding case, a comparison principle with the super- and sub-solutions is used, while in the shrinking case an argument similar to the one employed by Grayson for the curve shortening equation plays an important role. Several other properties of the flow are discussed, and presented clearly, making the paper a very nice reading for any researcher interested in planar curvature flows.