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Take profiles $b=b(y)$ and $g=g(y)$ with $y=x-ct$, and use a prime for differentiation with respect to $y$. The chain rule gives $b_t=-c{b}^{\prime }$, $b_{xx}=b^{\prime \prime }$ and $g_t=-c{g}^{\prime }$. ThereforeThese are coupled ordinary differential equations for a right-moving travelling wave with speed $c>0$. A first-order formulation, using $v=b^{\prime }$, is $b^{\prime }=v$, $v^{\prime }=-cv-gb$, $g^{\prime }=gb/c$. In particular a positive profile has $g^{\prime }>0$, consistent with depleted substrate behind the travelling front and fresh biological growth factor ahead.

At the leading edge $b\to 0$ and $g\to 1$. The linearized bacterial equation iswith characteristic exponentsFor $0<c<2$ they form a nonreal complex conjugate pair. A nonzero profile approaching the travelling front then has an exponentially decaying oscillatory leading term, and repeatedly changes sign. This is incompatible with the assumed positive bacterial density. The leading edge must therefore have real characteristic exponents, requiringAt $c=2$ the repeated characteristic exponent is $-1$ and polynomial factors in the asymptotic profile may occur. The argument supplies a necessary lower bound; it is not an independent existence proof for every speed satisfying it.

A travelling front is a travelling wave joining distinct limiting states ahead of and behind a moving interface. Its spatial profile depends on a coordinate such as $x-ct$.