This paper deals with a reaction–diffusion model with inner absorptions and coupled nonlinear boundary conditions of exponential type. The critical exponents are described via a pair of parameters that satisfy a certain matrix equation containing all the six nonlinear exponents of the system. Whether the solutions blow up or not is determined by the signs of the two parameters. A more precise analysis, depending on the geometry of $\varOmega$ and the absorption coefficients, is proposed for the critical sign of the parameters.
AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 35K55; 35B33
