SynopsisWe study the blow-up of positive solutions of the Cauchy problem for the semilinear parabolic equationwhere u is a scalar function of the spatial variable x ∈ ℝN and time t > 0, a ∈ ℝV, a ≠ 0, 1 < p and 1 ≦ q. We show that: (a) if p > 1 and 1 ≦ q ≦ p, there always exist solutions which blow up in finite time; (b) if 1 < q ≦ p ≦ min {1 + 2/N, 1 + 2q/(N + 1)} or if q = 1 and 1 < p ≦ l + 2/N, then all positive solutions blow up in finite time; (c) if q > 1 and p > min {1 + 2/N, 1 + 2q/N + 1)}, then global solutions exist; (d) if q = 1 and p > 1 + 2/N, then global solutions exist.