We analyze the ground state of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of higher-order interaction (HOI), modeled by a modified Gross-Pitaevskii equation (MGPE). In fact, due to the appearance of HOI, the ground state structures become very rich and complicated. We establish the existence and non-existence results under different parameter regimes, and obtain their limiting behaviors and/or structures with different combinations of HOI and contact interactions. Both the whole space case and the bounded domain case are considered, where different structures of ground states are identified.

We derive rigorously one-and two-dimensional mean-field equations for cigar-and pancake-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) with higher order interactions (HOI). We show how the higher order interaction modifies the contact interaction of the strongly confined particles. Surprisingly, we find that the usual Gaussian profile assumption for the strongly confining direction is inappropriate for the cigar-shaped BEC case, and a Thomas-Fermi type profile should be adopted instead. Based on the derived mean field equations, the Thomas-Fermi densities are analyzed in presence of the contact interaction and HOI. For both box and harmonic traps in one, two and three dimensions, we identify the analytical Thomas-Fermi densities, which depend on the competition between the contact interaction and the HOI.

We study asymptotically and numerically the fundamental gaps (i.e. the difference between the first excited state and the ground state) in energy and chemical potential of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) -nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic nonlinearity -with repulsive interaction under different trapping potentials including box potential and harmonic potential. Based on our asymptotic and numerical results, we formulate a gap conjecture on the fundamental gaps in energy and chemical potential of the GPE on bounded domains with the homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition, and in the whole space with a convex trapping potential growing at least quadratically in the far field. We then extend these results to the GPE on bounded domains with either the homogeneous Neumann boundary condition or periodic boundary condition.

We consider a model for the dynamics of growing cell populations with heterogeneous mobility and proliferation rate. The cell phenotypic state is described by a continuous structuring variable and the evolution of the local cell population density function (i.e. the cell phenotypic distribution at each spatial position) is governed by a non-local advection–reaction–diffusion equation. We report on the results of numerical simulations showing that, in the case where the cell mobility is bounded, compactly supported travelling fronts emerge. More mobile phenotypic variants occupy the front edge, whereas more proliferative phenotypic variants are selected at the back of the front. In order to explain such numerical results, we carry out formal asymptotic analysis of the model equation using a Hamilton–Jacobi approach. In summary, we show that the locally dominant phenotypic trait (i.e. the maximum point of the local cell population density function along the phenotypic dimension) satisfies a generalised Burgers’ equation with source term, we construct travelling-front solutions of such transport equation and characterise the corresponding minimal speed. Moreover, we show that, when the cell mobility is unbounded, front edge acceleration and formation of stretching fronts may occur. We briefly discuss the implications of our results in the context of glioma growth.