On the solutions of a boundary value problem arising in free convection with prescribed heat flux (Q842363)

The paper concerns the third order differential equation \(f^{\prime\prime\prime}+ff^{\prime\prime}+g\left(f^\prime\right)=0\) on the interval \(\left[0,+\infty\right)\) where \(g\) is a locally Lipschitz function. The equation with \(g\left(x\right)=\beta x^2\) arises in fluid mechanics when similarity solutions are considered in free boundary-layers flows adjacent to permeable surfaces. Solutions satisfying the boundary conditions \(f\left(0\right)=a\), \(f^{\prime\prime}\left(0\right)=c<0\) and \(f^{\prime}\left(+\infty\right)=0\) are investigated via shooting method where the parameter \(b:=f^{\prime}\left(0\right)\) is varied. The existence of at least one bounded solution is presented for the more general case when \(0<g\left(x\right)\leq\beta x^2\) for all \(x\neq0\) with constant \(\beta\) such that \(0<\beta<1\). Moreover, it is shown that there exists an interval \(\left[b_0,+\infty\right)\) such that for any \(b\in\left[b_0,+\infty\right)\) there is a solution which may be generally unbounded. Next, the uniqueness of the bounded solutions is studied for the particular case when \(g\left(x\right)=\beta x^2\), \(0<\beta<1\). More precisely, it is shown that there exists a solution that satisfies the above boundary conditions if and only if \(b\) belongs to an interval \(\left[b_*,+\infty\right)\) with \(b_*>0\) and the unique bounded solution corresponds to the case \(b=b_*\). The conjecture that the same holds for the more general case \(0<g\left(x\right)\leq x^2\) is stated.