Convergence and non-convergence in a nonlocal gradient flow

Abstract

We study the asymptotic convergence of solutions as $t\rightarrow\infty$ of $\partial_t u=-f(u)+\int f(u)$, a nonlocal differential equation that is formally a gradient flow in a constant-mass subspace of $L^2$ arising from simplified models of phase transitions. In case the solution takes finitely many values, we provide a new proof of stabilization that uses a {\L}ojasiewicz-type gradient inequality near a degenerate curve of equilibria. Solutions with infinitely many values in general need not converge to equilibrium, however, which we demonstrate by providing counterexamples for piecewise linear and cubic functions $f$. Curiously, the exponential rate of convergence in the finite-value case can jump from order $O(1)$ to arbitrarily small values upon perturbation of parameters.