Spreading in space–time periodic media governed by a monostable equation with free boundaries, Part 2: Spreading speed

Abstract

This is Part 2 of our work aimed at classifying the long-time behavior of the solution to a free boundary problem with monostable reaction term in space–time periodic media. In Part 1 (see [2]) we have established a theory on the existence and uniqueness of solutions to this free boundary problem with continuous initial functions, as well as a spreading-vanishing dichotomy. We are now able to develop the methods of Weinberger [15,16] and others [6–10] to prove the existence of asymptotic spreading speed when spreading happens, without knowing a priori the existence of the corresponding semi-wave solutions of the free boundary problem. This is a completely different approach from earlier works on the free boundary model, where the spreading speed is determined by firstly showing the existence of a corresponding semi-wave. Such a semi-wave appears difficult to obtain by the earlier approaches in the case of space–time periodic media considered in our work here.