Convexity and uniqueness in a free boundary problem arising in combustion theory
Author(s) -
Arshak Petrosyan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
revista matemática iberoamericana
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.569
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 2235-0616
pISSN - 0213-2230
DOI - 10.4171/rmi/300
Subject(s) - convexity , uniqueness , boundary (topology) , free boundary problem , combustion , mathematics , boundary value problem , mathematical analysis , mathematical economics , calculus (dental) , mathematical optimization , economics , medicine , financial economics , chemistry , organic chemistry , dentistry
We consider solutions to a free boundary problem for the heat equation, describing the propagation of flames. Suppose there is a bounded domain O I QT = Rn x (0,T) for some T > 0 and a function u > 0 in O such thatut = ?u, in O,u = 0 and |Nu| = 1, on G := ?O n QT,u(·,0) = u0, on O0,where O0 is a given domain in Rn and u0 is a positive and continuous function in O0, vanishing on ?O0. If O0 is convex and u0 is concave in O0, then we show that (u,O) is unique and the time sections Ot are convex for every t I (0,T), provided the free boundary G is locally the graph of a Lipschitz function and the fixed gradient condition is understood in the classical sense.
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