Precise asymptotics for Fisher-KPP fronts

TL;DR

This paper refines the long-term asymptotic analysis of Fisher-KPP equation solutions, providing precise correction terms for the wave front position and solution profile, revealing universal constants and high-order asymptotics.

Contribution

It introduces a refined shift for the wave front and detailed asymptotic expansions, including universal constants, improving understanding of Fisher-KPP front dynamics.

Findings

Universal constant (5-6 log 2)/8 in wave speed correction

Precise asymptotic expansion of solution profile with order t^{-1}

Prediction of high-order asymptotic forms for wave position and solution

Abstract

We consider the one-dimensional Fisher-KPP equation with step-like initial data. Nolen, Roquejoffre, and Ryzhik showed that the solution $u$ converges at long time to a traveling wave $\phi$ at a position $\tilde \sigma(t) = 2t - (3/2)\log t + \alpha_0- 3\sqrt{\pi}/\sqrt{t}$, with error $O(t^{\gamma-1})$ for any $\gamma>0$. With their methods, we find a refined shift $\sigma(t) = \tilde \sigma(t) + \mu_* (\log t)/t + \alpha_1/t$ such that in the frame moving with $\sigma$, the solution $u$ satisfies $u(t,x) = \phi (x) + \psi(x)/t + O(t^{\gamma-3/2})$ for a certain profile $\psi$ independent of initial data. The coefficient $\alpha_1$ depends on initial data, but $\mu_* = 9(5-6\log 2)/8$ is universal, and agrees with a finding of Berestycki, Brunet, and Derrida in a closely-related problem. Furthermore, we predict the asymptotic forms of $\sigma$ and $u$ to arbitrarily high order.