Similarity reductions for a nonlinear diffusion equation

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Abstract: Similarity reductions and new exact solutions are obtained for a nonlinear diffusion equation. These are obtained by using the classical symmetry group and reducing the partial differential equation to various ordinary differential equations. For the equations so obtained, first integrals are deduced which consequently give rise to explicit solutions. Potential symmetries, which are realized as local symmetries of a related auxiliary system, are obtained. For some special nonlinearities new symmetry reductions and exact solutions are derived by using the nonclassical method.


The equation \[ u_{t}=(u^{n})_{xx}+\frac{C}{x+\lambda}(u^{n})_{x},\quad n\in \mathbb{Q} \backslash \{ 0,1 \},\quad \lambda\in \mathbb{R} \] describes the nonlinear diffusion with convection. A complete group classification and classification for Lie-Bäcklund symmetries for the case \(C=0\) was derived in [\textit{L. V. Ovsiannikov}, Group analysis of differential equations, Academic Press (1982; Zbl 0485.58002); \textit{G. Bluman} and \textit{S. Kumei}, J. Math. Phys. 21, 1019-1023 (1980; Zbl 0448.35027) and Symmetries and differential equations, Springer (1989; Zbl 0698.35001)]. The authors obtain the special values of the parameter \(n\) such that nonclassical symmetries can be derived. For these special nonlinearities new symmetry reductions and exact solutions are obtained using the nonclassical method.











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