Geometric desingularisation of the sharp-to-smooth travelling wave transition

Abstract

We study travelling front solutions of a family of degenerate Fisher-KPP equations $u_t=(u^n{u}_x{)}_x+u(1-u^n)$, where $n$ is a positive integer. At the minimal wave speed $c_{\min }=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1+n}}$, these equations admit sharp front solutions, corresponding to an explicit heteroclinic orbit in the travelling wave phase-space. We show how this sharp front is perturbed when the wave speed is increased to $c=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1+n}}+\epsilon$, with $\epsilon$ sufficiently small. We use a well-motivated geometric desingularisation (also known as blow-up) near the degenerate equilibrium at the leading edge. By analysing the resulting directional and rescaling charts, we construct a singular heteroclinic orbit connecting the relevant asymptotic states, providing a simple geometric proof of the transition from sharp to smooth travelling fronts.