Bifurcation to locked fronts in two component reaction–diffusion systems

We study invasion fronts and spreading speeds in two component reaction–diffusion systems. Using a variation of Lin's method, we construct traveling front solutions and show the existence of a bifurcation to locked fronts where both components invade at the same speed. Expansions of the wave speed as a function of the diffusion constant of one species are obtained. The bifurcation can be sub or super-critical depending on whether the locked fronts exist for parameter values above or below the bifurcation value. Interestingly, in the sub-critical case numerical simulations reveal that the spreading speed of the PDE system does not depend continuously on the coefficient of diffusion.     

Pulsating fronts and front-like entire solutions for a reaction–advection–diffusion competition model in a periodic habitat

This paper is devoted to the study of pulsating fronts and pulsating front-like entire solutions for a reaction–advection–diffusion model of two competing species in a periodic habitat. Under certain assumptions, the competition system admits a leftward and a rightward pulsating fronts in the bistable case. In this work we construct some other types of entire solutions by interacting the leftward and rightward pulsating fronts. Some of these entire solutions behave as the two pulsating fronts approaching each other from both sides of the x-axis, which turn out to be unique and Liapunov stable 2-dimensional manifolds of solutions, furthermore, the leftward and rightward pulsating fronts are on the boundary of these 2-dimensional manifolds. The others behave as the two pulsating fronts propagating from one side of the x-axis, the faster one then invades the slower one as $t\to +\infty$. These kinds of pulsating front-like entire solutions then provide some new spreading ways other than pulsating fronts for two strongly competing species interacting in a heterogeneous habitat.     

Global stability of traveling wave fronts for a reaction–diffusion system with a quiescent stage on a one-dimensional spatial lattice

This paper is concerned with the stability of traveling wave fronts for a coupled system of non-local delayed lattice differential equations with a quiescent stage. It shows that under certain conditions all non-critical traveling wave fronts are globally exponentially stable, and critical ftraveling wave fronts are globally algebraically stable by applying the weighted energy method and the semi-discrete Fourier transform.     

Entire solutions for a discrete diffusive equation

We study entire solutions of a discrete diffusive equation with bistable nonlinearity. It is well known that there are three different wavefronts connecting any two of those three equilibria, say, 0,a,1. We construct three different types of entire solutions. The first one is a solution which behaves as two opposite wavefronts (connecting 0 and 1) of the same positive speed approaching each other from both sides of the real line. The second one is a solution which behaves as two different wavefronts (connecting a and one of {0,1}) approaching each other from both sides of the real line and converging to the wavefront connecting 0 and 1. The third one is a solution which behaves as a wavefront connecting a and 0 and a wavefront connecting 0 and 1 approaching each other from both sides of the real line.     

Global stability and wavefronts in a cooperation model with state-dependent time delay

This article deals with a diffusive cooperative model with state-dependent delay which is assumed to be an increasing function of the population density with lower and upper bounds. For the cooperative DDE system, the positivity and boundedness of solutions are firstly given. Using the comparison principle of the state-dependent delay equations obtained, the stability criterion of model is analyzed both from local and global points of view. When the diffusion is properly introduced, the existence of traveling waves is obtained by constructing a pair of upper–lower solutions and Schauder's fixed point theorem. Calculating the minimum wave speed shows that the wave is slowed down by the state-dependent delay. Finally, the traveling wavefront solutions for large wave speed are also discussed, and the fronts appear to be all monotone, regardless of the state dependent time delay. This is an interesting property, since many findings are frequently reported that delay causes a loss of monotonicity, with the front developing a prominent hump in some other delay models.     

Minimal-speed selection of traveling waves to the Lotka–Volterra competition model

In this paper the minimal-speed determinacy of traveling wave fronts of a two-species competition model of diffusive Lotka–Volterra type is investigated. First, a cooperative system is obtained from the classical Lotka–Volterra competition model. Then, we apply the upper-lower solution technique on the cooperative system to study the traveling waves as well as its minimal-speed selection mechanisms: linear or nonlinear. New types of upper and lower solutions are established. Previous results for the linear speed selection are extended, and novel results on both linear and nonlinear selections are derived.     

Reaction-diffusion front speed enhancement by flows

We study flow-induced enhancement of the speed of pulsating traveling fronts for reaction-diffusion equations, and quenching of reaction by fluid flows. We prove, for periodic flows in two dimensions and any combustion-type reaction, that the front speed is proportional to the square root of the (homogenized) effective diffusivity of the flow. We show that this result does not hold in three and more dimensions. We also prove conjectures from Audoly, Berestycki and Pomeau (2000) [1], Berestycki (2003) [3], Fannjiang, Kiselev and Ryzhik (2006) [11] for cellular flows, concerning the rate of speed-up of fronts and the minimal flow amplitude necessary to quench solutions with initial data of a fixed (large) size.     

Analytical and numerical solutions to some one-dimensional relativistic heat equations

Analytical and numerical solutions to a family of one-dimensional (nonlinear) relativistic heat equations in finite domains are presented. The analytical solutions correspond to steady state conditions in the absence of source terms and have been obtained as functions of the (absolute) temperature at one of the boundaries, a characteristic exponent, a Péclet number based on the speed of light and the heat flux, while the numerical ones correspond to an initial Gaussian temperature distribution, adiabatic boundary conditions and different values of the Péclet number and a characteristic exponent. It is shown that, for steady conditions, the difference between the (nondimensional) temperature of the relativistic heat equation and that corresponding to Fourier law is very large for large values of both the coefficient and the exponent of the nonlinearity that characterize the relativistic contribution to the heat flux, small values of the temperature at one of the boundaries and large heat fluxes. Travelling-wave solutions of the wave-front type are reported for odd values of the nonlinearity exponent in infinite domains and in the absence of source terms. For an initial Gaussian distribution, it is shown that the relativistic contribution to heat transfer results in the formation of two triangular corner regions where the temperature is equal to the initial one, and the formation of two temperature fronts that propagate towards the domain’s boundaries. The amplitude and steepness of these fronts increase whereas their width and speed decrease as the Péclet number is decreased. It is also shown that the effects of the characteristic exponent are small provided that its value is greater than about two, and that, in the absence of source terms, the temperature becomes uniform in space and constant in time for adiabatic boundary conditions. In the presence of source terms and for adiabatic boundary conditions, it is shown that, soon after the temperature fronts hit the boundaries, the temperature becomes uniform in space but may either increase or decrease with time until it reaches a stable fixed point of the source term. For a cubic source term that exhibits bistability, it is shown that the temperature tends to the attractor of lowest temperature.     

Propagation failure of fronts in discrete inhomogeneous media with a sawtooth nonlinearity

Exact, steady-state, single-front solutions are constructed for a spatially discrete bistable equation with a piecewise linear reaction term, known as a sawtooth nonlinearity. These solutions are obtained by solving second-order difference equations with variable coefficients, which are linear under certain assumptions on the expected solutions. An algorithmic procedure for constructing solutions in general, for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous diffusion, is obtained using a combination of Jacobi-Operator theory and the Sherman–Morrison formula. The existence of solutions for the difference equation, implies propagation failure of fronts for the corresponding differential-difference equation. The interval of propagation failure, which is the range of values of the detuning parameter that render stationary fronts, is studied in detail for the case of a single defect in the medium of propagation. Explicit formulae reveal precise relationships between parameter values that cause traveling fronts to fail to propagate when the interface reaches the inhomogeneities in the medium. These explicit formulae are also compared to numerical computations using the proposed algorithmic approach, which provides a check of its computational usefulness and illustrates its capabilities for problems with more complicated choices of parameter values.     

Existence and qualitative features of entire solutions for delayed reaction diffusion system: the monostable case

The paper is concerned with the existence and qualitative features of entire solutions for delayed reaction diffusion monostable systems. Here the entire solutions mean solutions defined on the $ (x,t)\in\mathbb{R}^{N+1} $. We first establish the comparison principles, construct appropriate upper and lower solutions and some upper estimates for the systems with quasimonotone nonlinearities. Then, some new types of entire solutions are constructed by mixing any finite number of traveling wave fronts with different speeds $ c\geq c_* $ and propagation directions and a spatially independent solution, where $c_*>0$ is the critical wave speed. Furthermore, various qualitative properties of entire solutions are investigated. In particularly, the relationship between the entire solution, the traveling wave fronts and a spatially independent solution are considered, respectively. At last, for the nonquasimonotone nonlinearity case, some new types of entire solutions are also investigated by introducing two auxiliary quasimonotone controlled systems and establishing some comparison theorems for Cauchy problems of the three systems.     

Front-like entire solutions for equations with convection

We construct families of front-like entire solutions for problems with convection, both for bistable and monostable reaction–diffusion–convection equations, and, via vanishing-viscosity arguments, for bistable and monostable balance laws. The unified approach employed is inspired by ideas of Chen and Guo and based on a robust method using front-dependent sub and supersolutions. Unlike convectionless problems, the equations studied here lack symmetry between increasing and decreasing travelling waves, which affects the choice of sub and supersolutions used. Our entire solutions include both those that behave like two fronts coming together and annihilating as time increases, and, for bistable equations, those that behave like two fronts merging to propagate like a single front. We also characterise the long-time behaviour of each family of entire solutions, which in the case of solutions constructed from a monostable front merging with a bistable front answers a question that was open even for reaction–diffusion equations without convection.     

Existence and uniqueness of entire solutions for a reaction-diffusion equation

We consider entire solutions of u_t=u_xx-f(u), i.e. solutions that exist for all (x,t)∈R², where f(0)=f(1)=0<f^′(0). In particular, we are interested in the entire solutions which behave as two opposite wave fronts of positive speed(s) approaching each other from both sides of the x-axis and then annihilating in a finite time. In the case f^′(1)>0, we show that such entire solution exists and is unique up to space-time translations. In the case f^′(1)<0, we derive two families of such entire solutions. In the first family, one cannot be any space-time translation of the other. Yet all entire solutions in the second family only differ by a space-time translation.     

Multiplicity of supercritical fronts for reaction–diffusion equations in cylinders

We study multiplicity of the supercritical traveling front solutions for scalar reaction–diffusion equations in infinite cylinders which invade a linearly unstable equilibrium. These equations are known to possess traveling wave solutions connecting an unstable equilibrium to the closest stable equilibrium for all speeds exceeding a critical value. We show that these are, in fact, the only traveling front solutions in the considered problems for sufficiently large speeds. In addition, we show that other traveling fronts connecting to the unstable equilibrium may exist in a certain range of the wave speed. These results are obtained with the help of a variational characterization of such solutions.     

Monotonicity,uniqueness, and stability of traveling waves in a nonlocal reaction‐diffusion system with delay

The purpose of this paper is to study the traveling wave solutions of a nonlocal reaction‐diffusion system with delay arising from the spread of an epidemic by oral‐faecal transmission. Under monostable and quasimonotone it is well known that the system has a minimal wave speed c* of traveling wave fronts. In this paper, we first prove the monotonicity and uniqueness of traveling waves with speed c ?c _?. Then we show that the traveling wave fronts with speed c >c _? are exponentially asymptotically stable.     

A diffusion equation in transparent media

In this paper we study the homogeneous relativistic heat equation (HRHE) obtained as asymptotic limit of the so-called relativistic heat equation (RHE) when the kinematic viscosity ν → ∞. These equations were introduced in the theory of radiation hydrodynamics to guarantee a bounded speed of propagation of radiating energy. We shall prove that this is indeed true, and we shall construct some explicit solutions of the HRHE exhibiting fronts propagating at light speed.     

A Numerical Study of Traveling Wave Fronts for a Reaction-Diffusion-Advection Model

This paper concerns with the traveling wave solutions of a nonlinear reaction-diffusion-advection model for describing the spatiotemporal evolution of bacterial colony pattern. We use different methods for computing the traveling wave fronts of the model equations. One of the methods involves the traveling wave equations. Numerical solutions of these equations as an initial-value problem lead to accurate computations of the wave profiles and speeds. The second method is to construct the time-dependent solutions by solving an initial-moving boundary-value problem for the PDE system, showing an approximation for such wave fronts, in particular, the minimum speed traveling wave.     

Front propagation in periodic excitable media

This paper is devoted to the study of pulsating travelling fronts for reaction‐diffusion‐advection equations in a general class of periodic domains with underlying periodic diffusion and velocity fields. Such fronts move in some arbitrarily given direction with an unknown effective speed. The notion of pulsating travelling fronts generalizes that of travelling fronts for planar or shear flows. Various existence, uniqueness and monotonicity results are proved for two classes of reaction terms. Firstly, for a combustion‐type nonlinearity, it is proved that the pulsating travelling front exists and that its speed is unique. Moreover, the front is increasing with respect to the time variable and unique up to translation in time. We also consider one class of monostable nonlinearity which arises either in combustion or biological models. Then, the set of possible speeds is a semi‐infinite interval, closed and bounded from below. For each possible speed, there exists a pulsating travelling front which is increasing in time. This result extends the classical Kolmogorov‐Petrovsky‐Piskunov case. Our study covers in particular the case of flows in all of space with periodic advections such as periodic shear flows or a periodic array of vortical cells. These results are also obtained for cylinders with oscillating boundaries or domains with a periodic array of holes. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Traveling Waves with Multiple and Nonconvex Fronts for a Bistable Semilinear Parabolic Equation

We construct new examples of traveling wave solutions to the bistable and balanced semilinear parabolic equation in \input amssym ${\Bbb R}^N+1$ , $N\geq 2$ . Our first example is that of a traveling wave solution with two non planar fronts that move with the same speed. Our second example is a traveling wave solution with a nonconvex moving front. To our knowledge no existence results of traveling fronts with these type of geometric characteristics have been previously known. Our approach explores a connection between solutions of the semilinear parabolic PDE and eternal solutions to the mean curvature flow in \input amssym ${\Bbb R}^N+1$ .     

Traveling wave fronts in a delayed lattice competitive system

This paper is concerned with the existence, asymptotic behavior, strict monotonicity, and uniqueness of traveling wave fronts connecting two half-positive equilibria in a delayed lattice competitive system. We first prove the existence of traveling wave fronts by constructing upper and lower solutions and Schauder’s fixed point theorem, and then, for sufficiently small intraspecific competitive delays, prove that these traveling wave fronts decay exponentially at both infinities. Furthermore, for system without intraspecific competitive delays, the strict monotonicity and uniqueness of traveling wave fronts are established by means of the sliding method. In addition, we give the exact decay rate of the stronger competitor under some technique conditions by appealing to uniqueness.     

A Fisher-Kolmogorov equation with finite speed of propagation

In this paper we study a Fisher-Kolmogorov type equation with a flux limited diffusion term and we prove the existence and uniqueness of finite speed moving fronts and the existence of some explicit solutions in a particular regime of the equation.