Diffusion and the self-measurability

Abstract

The familiar diffusion equation, ∂g/∂t = DΔg, is studied by using the spatially averaged quantities. A non-local relation, so-called the self-measurability condition, fulfilled by this equation is obtained. We define a broad class of diffusion equations defined by some "diffusion inequality", ∂g/∂t · Δg ≥ 0, and show that it is equivalent to the self-measurability condition. It allows formulating the diffusion inequality in a non-local form. That represents an essential generalization of the diffusion problem in the case when the field g(x, t) is not smooth. We derive a general differential equation for averaged quantities coming from the self-measurability condition.

Keywords

• Diffusion
• Spatial averaging
• Nonlocal thermomechanics