Asymptotic spreading speed for the weak competition system with a free boundary

Abstract: This paper is concerned with a diffusive Lotka-Volterra type competition system with a free boundary in one space dimension. Such a system may be used to describe the invasion of a new species into the habitat of a native competitor. We show that the longtime dynamical behavior of the system is determined by a spreading-vanishing dichotomy, and provide sharp criteria for spreading and vanishing of the invasive species. Moreover, we determine the asymptotic spreading speed of the invasive species when its spreading is successful, which involves two systems of traveling wave type equations, and is highly nontrivial to establish.