An analytical proof of the linear stability of the viscous shock profile of the burgers equation with fourth-order viscosity

In this paper we establish the exponential decay of solutions of the equati on u(t) + phi(x)u(x) = -partial derivative(x)(4)u in an exponentially weighted norm. Here phi(x) is the viscous shock profile corresponding to the Burgers equation with fourth-order viscosity: u(t) + uu(x) = -partial derivative(x)(4)u. Because of the fact that the profile is not monotone, showing the stability is nontrivial. We extend the techniques of Koppel and Howard (Adv. Math. 1 8 (1975), pp. 306-358), techniques that they employ to prove the existence of the viscous shock profile, and we use the techniques to prove the stabil ity of the viscous shock profile. We have previously shown that the viscous shock profile is a stable solution in an exponentially weighted norm by ma king use of numerical results. The main advantage of our current method is that it is analytical. One sees more clearly what properties of the viscous shock profile cause it to be a stable solution of the PDE.