Concave solutions of a general self-similar boundary layer problem for power-law fluids

In this paper, we give a rigorous mathematical analysis for a third order nonlinear boundary value problem. The boundary value problem can be applied to steady free convection around a vertical impermeable flat plate in a fluid-saturated porous medium, or steady flow of a power-law fluid induced by impermeable stretching walls in the frame of boundary layer approximation. We establish the uniqueness, existence and nonexistence of (normal) concave solutions or generalized concave solutions to the problem, and obtain some results about boundedness and asymptotic behavior of the (normal) concave solution or the generalized concave solution.