Long-time dynamics of a competition model with nonlocal diffusion and free boundaries: Chances of successful invasion

Yihong Du, Wenjie Ni, Linfei Shi

Published 2024-03-28Version 1

This is a continuation of our work \cite{dns-part1} to investigate the long-time dynamics of a two species competition model of Lotka-Volterra type with nonlocal diffusions, where the territory (represented by the real line $\R$) of a native species with density $v(t,x)$, is invaded by a competitor with density $u(t,x)$, via two fronts, $x=g(t)$ on the left and $x=h(t)$ on the right. So the population range of $u$ is the evolving interval $[g(t), h(t)]$ and the reaction-diffusion equation for $u$ has two free boundaries, with $g(t)$ decreasing in $t$ and $h(t)$ increasing in $t$. Let $h_\infty:=h(\infty)\leq \infty$ and $g_\infty:=g(\infty)\geq -\infty$. In \cite{dns-part1}, we obtained detailed descriptions of the long-time dynamics of the model according to whether $h_\infty-g_\infty$ is $\infty$ or finite. In the latter case, we demonstrated in what sense the invader $u$ vanishes in the long run and $v$ survives the invasion, while in the former case, we obtained a rather satisfactory description of the long-time asymptotic limits of $u(t,x)$ and $v(t,x)$ when the parameter $k$ in the model is less than 1. In the current paper, we obtain sharp criteria to distinguish the case $h_\infty-g_\infty=\infty$ from the case $h_\infty-g_\infty$ is finite. Moreover, for the case $k\geq 1$ and $u$ is a weak competitor, we obtain biologically meaningful conditions that guarantee the vanishing of the invader $u$, and reveal chances for $u$ to invade successfully. In particular, we demonstrate that both $h_\infty=\infty=-g_\infty$ and $h_\infty=\infty$ but $g_\infty$ is finite are possible; the latter seems to be the first example for this kind of population models, with either local or nonlocal diffusion.