Multiple positive and 2-nodal symmetric solutions of elliptic problems with critical nonlinearity

We consider the problem −Δu+a(x)u=f(x)|u|^2*−2u in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where Ω is a bounded smooth domain in RN, N?4, is the critical Sobolev exponent, and a,f are continuous functions. We assume that Ω, a and f are invariant under the action of a group of orthogonal transformations. We obtain multiplicity results which contain information about the symmetry and symmetry-breaking properties of the solutions, and about their nodal domains. Our results include new multiplicity results for the Brezis-Nirenberg problem −Δu+λu=|u|^2*−2u in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω.     

Multiplicity of solutions for a quasilinear elliptic problem via the cohomological index

In this paper we study a quasilinear elliptic problem with the Dirichlet boundary condition in a bounded domain involving the operator Au=−Δ_pu−Δ_qu. Assuming that the nonlinearity has a concave-convex behavior we obtain some multiplicity results. More precisely, we obtain five nontrivial solutions; two by a minimization argument, two by the mountain pass theorem, and the other by a cohomological linking theorem.     

Special conformal groups of a Riemannian manifold and Lie point symmetries of the nonlinear Poisson equation

We obtain a complete group classification of the Lie point symmetries of nonlinear Poisson equations on generic (pseudo) Riemannian manifolds M. Using this result we study their Noether symmetries and establish the respective conservation laws. It is shown that the projection of the Lie point symmetries on M are special subgroups of the conformal group of M. In particular, if the scalar curvature of M vanishes, the projection on M of the Lie point symmetry group of the Poisson equation with critical nonlinearity is the conformal group of the manifold. We illustrate our results by applying them to the Thurston geometries.     

Principal eigenvalues and the Dirichlet problem for fully nonlinear elliptic operators

We study uniformly elliptic fully nonlinear equations of the type F(D²u,Du,u,x)=f(x). We show that convex positively 1-homogeneous operators possess two principal eigenvalues and eigenfunctions, and study these objects; we obtain existence and uniqueness results for nonproper operators whose principal eigenvalues (in some cases, only one of them) are positive; finally, we obtain an existence result for nonproper Isaac's equations.     

Optimal uniqueness theorems and exact blow-up rates of large solutions

In this paper, we prove some optimal uniqueness results for large solutions of a canonical class of semilinear equations under minimal regularity conditions on the weight function in front of the non-linearity and combine these results with the localization method introduced in [López-Gómez, The boundary blow-up rate of large solutions, J. Differential Equations 195 (2003) 25-45] to prove that any large solution L of Δu=a(x)u^p, p>1, a>0, must satisfy

     

Solutions concentrating on higher dimensional subsets for singularly perturbed elliptic equations II

We construct spike layered solutions for the semilinear elliptic equation −ε²Δu+V(x)u=K(x)up−1 on a domain Ω⊂RN which may be bounded or unbounded. The solutions concentrate simultaneously on a finite number of m-dimensional spheres in Ω. These spheres accumulate as ε→0 at a prescribed sphere in Ω whose location is determined by the potential functions V,K.     

Renormalized solutions of degenerate elliptic problems

We consider a general class of degenerate elliptic problems of the form Au+g(x,u,Du)=f, where A is a Leray-Lions operator from a weighted Sobolev space into its dual. We assume that g(x,s,ξ) is a Caratheodory function verifying a sign condition and a growth condition on ξ. Existence of renormalized solutions is established in the L¹-setting.     

Existence of solutions to quasi-linear elliptic problems with generalized Robin boundary conditions

We characterize the L^q-solvability of a class of quasi-linear elliptic equations involving the p-Laplace operator with generalized nonlinear Robin type boundary conditions on bad domains. Some uniqueness results are also given.     

Entire solutions for a semilinear fourth order elliptic problem with exponential nonlinearity

We investigate entire radial solutions of the semilinear biharmonic equation Δ²u=λexp(u) in Rn, n?5, λ>0 being a parameter. We show that singular radial solutions of the corresponding Dirichlet problem in the unit ball cannot be extended as solutions of the equation to the whole of Rn. In particular, they cannot be expanded as power series in the natural variable s=log|x|. Next, we prove the existence of infinitely many entire regular radial solutions. They all diverge to −∞ as |x|→∞ and we specify their asymptotic behaviour. As in the case with power-type nonlinearities [F. Gazzola, H.-Ch. Grunau, Radial entire solutions for supercritical biharmonic equations, Math. Ann. 334 (2006) 905-936], the entire singular solution x?−4log|x| plays the role of a separatrix in the bifurcation picture. Finally, a technique for the computer assisted study of a broad class of equations is developed. It is applied to obtain a computer assisted proof of the underlying dynamical behaviour for the bifurcation diagram of a corresponding autonomous system of ODEs, in the case n=5.     

Exterior problems in the half-space for the Laplace operator in weighted Sobolev spaces

The purpose of this work is to solve exterior problems in the half-space for the Laplace operator. We give existence and unicity results in weighted Lp's theory with 1<p<∞. This paper extends the studies done in [C. Amrouche, V. Girault, J. Giroire, Dirichlet and Neumann exterior problems for the n-dimensional Laplace operator, an approach in weighted Sobolev spaces, J. Math. Pures Appl. 76 (1) (1997) 55-81] with Dirichlet and Neumann conditions.     

On ground state solutions for singular and semi-linear problems including super-linear terms at infinity

We establish a result concerning the existence of entire, positive, classical and bounded solutions which converge to zero at infinity for the semi-linear equation −Δu=λf(x,u),x∈R^N, where f:R^N×(0,∞)→[0,∞) is a suitable function and λ>0 is a real parameter. This result completes the principal theorem of A. Mohammed [A. Mohammed, Ground state solutions for singular semi-linear elliptic equations, Nonlinear Analysis (2008) doi:10.1016/j.na.2008.11.080] mainly because his result does not address the super-linear terms at infinity. Penalty arguments, lower-upper solutions and an approximation procedure will be used.     

The effects of indefinite nonlinear boundary conditions on the structure of the positive solutions set of a logistic equation

We investigate a semilinear elliptic equation with a logistic nonlinearity and an indefinite nonlinear boundary condition, both depending on a parameter λ. Overall, we analyze the effect of the indefinite nonlinear boundary condition on the structure of the positive solutions set. Based on variational and bifurcation techniques, our main results establish the existence of three nontrivial non-negative solutions for some values of λ, as well as their asymptotic behavior. These results suggest that the positive solutions set contains an S-shaped component in some case, as well as a combination of a C-shaped and an S-shaped components in another case.     

An energy-decreasing rearrangement of level sets preserving the domain and volume constraints

Let Ω⊂R² be a bounded and regular domain, u∈C³(Ω) and V⊂Ω a domain where the subset K₀ of points where the curvature of the t-level sets of u is zero admits a regular t-parameterization. We exhibit a local correction of u in a neighborhood of a particular point x^∗∈K₀⊂V such that the volume ∫f(u) is preserved and the Dirichlet integral ∫²|∇u| decreases. Consequently, a certain monotonic property is deduced for constrained minimizers in H¹(Ω). Our result can be applied to classical variational and free-boundary problems.     

The heterogeneous Allen-Cahn equation in a ball: Solutions with layers and spikes

Let u? be a single layered radially symmetric unstable solution of the Allen-Cahn equation −?²Δu=u(u−a(|x|))(1−u) over the unit ball with Neumann boundary conditions. Based on our estimate of the small eigenvalues of the linearized eigenvalue problem at u? when ? is small, we construct solutions of the form u?+v?, with v? non-radially symmetric and close to zero in the unit ball except near one point x₀ such that |x₀| is close to a nondegenerate critical point of a(r). Such a solution has a sharp layer as well as a spike.     

Existence and non-existence of solutions for a class of Monge-Ampère equations

We study the boundary value problems for Monge-Ampère equations: detD²u=e−u in Ω⊂Rn, n?1, u_|∂Ω=0. First we prove that any solution on the ball is radially symmetric by the argument of moving plane. Then we show there exists a critical radius such that if the radius of a ball is smaller than this critical value there exists a solution, and vice versa. Using the comparison between domains we can prove that this phenomenon occurs for every domain. Finally we consider an equivalent problem with a parameter detD²u=e−tu in Ω, u_|∂Ω=0, t?0. By using Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction method we get the local structure of the solutions near a degenerate point; by Leray-Schauder degree theory, a priori estimate and bifurcation theory we get the global structure.     

Existence and multiplicity of solutions for Neumann problems

In this paper we examine semilinear and nonlinear Neumann problems with a nonsmooth locally Lipschitz potential function. Using variational methods based on the nonsmooth critical point theory, for the semilinear problem we prove a multiplicity result under conditions of double resonance at higher eigenvalues. Our proof involves a nonsmooth extension of the reduction method due to Castro-Lazer-Thews. The nonlinear problem is driven by the p-Laplacian. So first we make some observations about the beginning of the spectrum of (−Δp,W1,p(Z)). Then we prove an existence and multiplicity result. The existence result permits complete double resonance. The multiplicity result specialized in the semilinear case (i.e. p=2) corresponds to the super-sub quadratic situation.     

Boundary behavior of large solutions to semilinear elliptic equations with nonlinear gradient terms

In this paper, we study the boundary behavior of solutions to boundary blow-up elliptic problems , where Ω is a bounded domain with smooth boundary in R^N, q>0, , which is positive in Ω and may be vanishing on the boundary and rapidly varying near the boundary, and f is rapidly varying or normalized regularly varying at infinity.     

The Liouville equation in a half-plane

We classify the solutions of the equation Δu+aeu=0 in the half-plane that satisfy the Neumann boundary condition ∂u/∂t=ceu/2 on . An analogous problem in the once punctured disc D^∗⊂R² is also solved.     

Semilinear elliptic equations admitting similarity transformations

In this paper we study the equation −Δu+ρ^−(α+2)h(ρ^αu)=0$-\mathrm{\Delta }u+{\rho }^{-(\alpha +2)}h({\rho }^{\alpha }u)=0$ in a smooth bounded domain Ω   where ρ(x)=dist(x,∂Ω)$\rho (x)=\mathrm{dist}(x,\partial \Omega )$, α>0$\alpha >0$ and h is a nondecreasing function which satisfies Keller–Osserman condition. We introduce a condition on h which implies that the equation is subcritical, i.e., the corresponding boundary value problem is well posed with respect to data given by finite measures. Under additional assumptions on h we show that this condition is necessary as well as sufficient. We also discuss b.v. problems with data given by positive unbounded measures. Our results extend results of [13] treating equations of the form −Δu+ρ^βu^q=0$-\mathrm{\Delta }u+{\rho }^{\beta }{u}^q=0$ with q>1$q>1$, β>−2$\beta >-2$.