Boundary null controllability of a class of 2-d degenerate parabolic PDEs

Abstract

This article deals with the boundary null controllability of some degenerate parabolic equations posed on a square domain, presenting the first study of boundary controllability for such equations in multidimensional settings. The proof combines two classical techniques: the method of moments and the Lebeau-Robbiano strategy. A key novelty of this work lies in the analysis of boundary control localized on a subset of the boundary where the degeneracy occurs. Furthermore, we establish the Kalman rank condition as a full characterization of boundary controllability for coupled degenerate systems. The results are extended to $N$-dimensional domains, and potential extensions and open problems are discussed to motivate further research in this area.