The fractional Keller–Segel model

Abstract

The Keller–Segel model is a system of partial differential equations modelling chemotactic aggregation in cellular systems. This model has blowing-up solutions for large enough initial conditions in dimensions d ≥ 2, but all the solutions are regular in one dimension, a mathematical fact that crucially affects the patterns that can form in the biological system. One of the strongest assumptions of the Keller–Segel model is the diffusive character of the cellular motion, known to be false in many situations. We extend this model to such situations in which the cellular dispersal is better modelled by a fractional operator. We analyse this fractional Keller–Segel model and find that all solutions are again globally bounded in time in one dimension. This fact shows the robustness of the main biological conclusions obtained from the Keller–Segel model.