arXiv · 2606.15228
Self-similar smoothing of a discontinuity by degenerate cross-diffusion
Abstract
We consider the dynamics of an idealised cross-diffusion model of biological invasion in which the diffusion of an invading population is inhibited by a resident population, which is in turn degraded by the former. We formulate and numerically solve the problem that describes the self-similar smoothing of an initially piecewise-constant invading population. In the limit the height ahead of the initial discontinuity vanishes, the speed of propagation also vanishes, but only logarithmically slowly. This result is confirmed by a matched asymptotic analysis. The singular nature of this limit indicates that the system does not permit the existence of compactly supported solutions that exhibit a moving front or interface, which has important implications for the simulation of more complex models that also feature this degenerate diffusive mechanism.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Michael C. Dallaston. 2026-06-13. Self-similar smoothing of a discontinuity by degenerate cross-diffusion. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.15228
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.