Special Session 12: Propagation Phenomena in Reaction-Diffusion Systems

Regularity and long-time dynamics of some free boundary models: Successes and challenges
Yihong Du
University of New England (Australia)
Australia
Co-Author(s):    
Abstract:
In 1937, independently, Fisher and KPP (Kolmogorov-Petrovskii-Piskunov) used a simple reaction-diffusion equation to model the spreading of a species, which is now known as the Fisher-KPP model. A striking feature of the model is that it predicts an asymptotic spreading speed (determined by an associated traveling wave solution). Such a phenomenon has been observed in many examples of species spreading in the real world, and was first rigorously proved by Aronson-Weinberger (1975), after which much further developments of the mathematical theory for propagation have been achieved along various lines. In this talk, I will focus on one aspect of some recent developments of this theory, which involves reaction-diffusion equations with free boundaries. I will discuss the longtime dynamics of these models and the associated regularity questions, including some success stories and challenges.