The geometry of diffusing and self-attracting particles in a one-dimensional fair-competition regime

Abstract: We consider an aggregation-diffusion equation modelling particle interaction with non-linear diffusion and non-local attractive interaction using a homogeneous kernel (singular and non-singular) leading to variants of the Keller-Segel model of chemotaxis. We analyse the fair-competition regime in which both homogeneities scale the same with respect to dilations. Our analysis here deals with the one-dimensional case and provides an almost complete classification. In the singular kernel case and for critical interaction strength, we prove uniqueness of stationary states via a variant of the Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev inequality. Using the same methods, we show uniqueness of self-similar profiles in the sub-critical case by proving a new type of functional inequality. Surprisingly, the same results hold true for any interaction strength in the non-singular kernel case. Further, we investigate the asymptotic behaviour of solutions, proving convergence to equilibrium in Wasserstein distance in the critical singular kernel case, and convergence to self-similarity for sub-critical interaction strength, both under a uniform stability condition. Moreover, solutions converge to a unique self-similar profile in the non-singular kernel case. Finally, we provide a numerical overview for the asymptotic behaviour of solutions in the full parameter space demonstrating the above results. We also discuss a number of phenomena appearing in the numerical explorations for the diffusion-dominated and attraction-dominated regimes.