Convex solutions of a general similarity boundary layer equation for power-law fluids

This paper is devoted to a general similarity boundary layer equation for power-law fluids, which includes many important similarity boundary layer problems such as the Falker-Skan equation and the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer equation which arises in the study of self-similar solutions of the two-dimensional steady laminar boundary layer flow for an incompressible electrically conducting power-law fluids along an isolated surface in the presence of an exterior magnetic field orthogonal to the flow. By a rigorous mathematical analysis, the uniqueness, existence and nonexistence results for convex solutions, normal convex solutions and generalized convex solutions to the general similarity boundary layer equation are established. Also the asymptotic behavior of the normal convex solutions at the infinity are displayed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.