CALCULATION OF ANOMALOUS EXPONENTS IN NONLINEAR DIFFUSION

We present a rigorous method based on the implicit function theorem fo r computing anomalous exponents for self-similar solutions to a variet y of problems in continuum mechanics. Unlike formal perturbation metho ds which give only local results, our method often gives global result s and analytic dependence of the exponent on parameters. We describe i n detail the application of the method to source-type solutions to Bar enblatt's equation for, elastoplastic flow, a problem which has been t reated elsewhere by renormalization methods. We also briefly describe several other applications.