Propagation properties of reaction-diffusion equations in periodic domains

Abstract: This paper studies the phenomenon of invasion for heterogeneous reaction-diffusion equations in periodic domains with monostable and combustion reaction terms. We give an answer to a question rised by Berestycki, Hamel and Nadirashvili in [5] concerning the connection between the speed of invasion and the speed of fronts. To do so, we extend the classical Freidlin-Gartner formula to such equations, using a geometrical argument devised by Rossi in [17], and derive some bounds on the speed of fronts using estimates on the heat kernel.