Finite-exponential Cole-Hopf solution ($q=\frac{{\sum }_j{q}_j{e}^{A_j}}{{\sum }_j{e}^{A_j}},A_j=\frac{q_j(\theta -{\theta }_j)+q_j^{2}Z/2}{2ϵ}$)

For the negative-flux viscous Burgers equation $q_Z-q{q}_{\theta }=ϵq_{\theta \theta }$, set $q=2ϵ{\partial }_{\theta }\log \psi$. A sum of exponentials in the initial heat data evolves into $\psi ={\sum }_j{e}^{A_j}$, giving the displayed softmax function average. Two terms produce a traveling tanh shock from the lower to the higher state, with speed minus their mean.

For ordered states $q_1<\cdots <q_N$, in the moving frame $\theta =sZ+\xi$ the first and last exponents in the finite-exponential Cole-Hopf solution have the same leading coefficient. Each interior state's coefficient is smaller by $(q_j-q_1)(q_N-q_j)/(4ϵ)>0$. Thus the large-$Z$ moving-frame profile is the two-state shock between the extremes. At fixed $\theta$, the endpoint of largest absolute value dominates; equal opposite extremes leave a stationary shock.