A Variational Approach to Discontinuous Problems with Critical Sobolev Exponents

We employ variational techniques to study the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions of semilinear equations of the form − Δu = λh(x)H(u − a)u^q + u^2* − 1 in R^N, where λ, a > 0 are parameters, h(x) is both nonnegative and integrable on R^N, H is the Heaviside function, 2* is the critical Sobolev exponent, and 0 ≤ q < 2* − 1. We obtain existence, multiplicity and regularity of solutions by distinguishing the cases 0 ≤ q ≤ 1 and 1 < q < 2* − 1.     

Local “superlinearity” and “sublinearity” for the p-Laplacian

We study the existence, nonexistence and multiplicity of positive solutions for a family of problems −Δpu=fλ(x,u), , where Ω is a bounded domain in RN, N>p, and λ>0 is a parameter. The family we consider includes the well-known nonlinearities of Ambrosetti-Brezis-Cerami type in a more general form, namely λa(x)uq+b(x)ur, where 0?q<p−1<r?p^∗−1. Here the coefficient a(x) is assumed to be nonnegative but b(x) is allowed to change sign, even in the critical case. Preliminary results of independent interest include the extension to the p-Laplacian context of the Brezis-Nirenberg result on local minimization in and , a C1,α estimate for equations of the form −Δpu=h(x,u) with h of critical growth, a strong comparison result for the p-Laplacian, and a variational approach to the method of upper-lower solutions for the p-Laplacian.     

Multiple positive solutions of nonhomogeneous elliptic systems with strongly indefinite structure and critical Sobolev exponents

In this paper, we study the existence of multiple positive solutions to some Hamiltonian elliptic systems −Δv=λu+u^p+εf(x), −Δu=μv+v^q+δg(x) in Ω;u,v>0 in Ω; u=v=0 on ∂Ω, where Ω is a bounded domain in R^N (N?3); 0?f, g∈L∞(Ω); 1/(p+1)+1/(q+1)=(N−2)/N, p,q>1; λ,μ>0. Using sub- and supersolution method and based on an adaptation of the dual variational approach, we prove the existence of at least two nontrivial positive solutions for all λ,μ∈(0,λ₁) and ε,δ∈(0,δ₀), where λ₁ is the first eigenvalue of the Laplace operator −Δ with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions and δ₀ is a positive number.     

An even-order three-point boundary value problem on time scales

We study the even-order dynamic equation (−1)ⁿx^(Δ∇)n(t)=λh(t)f(x(t)), t∈[a,c] satisfying the boundary conditions x^(Δ∇)i(a)=0 and x^(Δ∇)i(c)=βx^(Δ∇)i(b) for 0?i?n−1. The three points a,b,c are from a time scale , where 0<β(b−a)<c−a for b∈(a,c), β>0, f is a positive function, and h is a nonnegative function that is allowed to vanish on some subintervals of [a,c] of the time scale.     

Complete quenching for singular parabolic problems

We prove finite time extinction of the solution of the equation ut−Δu+χ{u>0}(u−β−λf(u))=0 in Ω×(0,∞) with boundary data u(x,t)=0 on ∂Ω×(0,∞) and initial condition u(x,0)=u₀(x) in Ω, where Ω⊂RN is a bounded smooth domain, 0<β<1 and λ>0 is a parameter. For every small enough λ>0 there exists a time t₀>0 such that the solution is identically equal to zero.     

Existence and multiplicity of solutions for quasilinear nonhomogeneous problems: An Orlicz-Sobolev space setting

We study the boundary value problem −div(log(1+q|∇u|)|∇u|^p−2∇u)=f(u) in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where Ω is a bounded domain in RN with smooth boundary. We distinguish the cases where either f(u)=−λ|u|^p−2u+|u|^r−2u or f(u)=λ|u|^p−2u−|u|^r−2u, with p, q>1, p+q<min{N,r}, and r<(Np−N+p)/(N−p). In the first case we show the existence of infinitely many weak solutions for any λ>0. In the second case we prove the existence of a nontrivial weak solution if λ is sufficiently large. Our approach relies on adequate variational methods in Orlicz-Sobolev spaces.     

Coincidence sets in quasilinear elliptic problems of monostable type

This paper concerns the formation of a coincidence set for the positive solution of the boundary value problem: −εΔpu=uq−1f(a(x)−u) in Ω with u=0 on ∂Ω, where ε is a positive parameter, Δpu=div(|∇u|^p−2∇u), 1<q?p<∞, f(s)∼|s|^θ−1s(s→0) for some θ>0 and a(x) is a positive smooth function satisfying Δpa=0 in Ω with infΩ|∇a|>0. It is proved in this paper that if 0<θ<1 the coincidence set Oε={x∈Ω:uε(x)=a(x)} has a positive measure for small ε and converges to Ω with order O(ε1/p) as ε→0. Moreover, it is also shown that if θ?1, then Oε is empty for any ε>0. The proofs rely on comparison theorems and the energy method for obtaining local comparison functions.     

Eigenvalue problems for second-order nonlinear dynamic equations on time scales

This paper is concerned with the existence and nonexistence of positive solutions of the second-order nonlinear dynamic equation uΔΔ(t)+λa(t)f(u(σ(t)))=0, t∈[0,1], satisfying either the conjugate boundary conditions u(0)=u(σ(1))=0 or the right focal boundary conditions u(0)=uΔ(σ(1))=0, where a and f are positive. We show that there exists a λ^∗>0 such that the above boundary value problem has at least two, one and no positive solutions for 0<λ<λ^∗, λ=λ^∗ and λ>λ^∗, respectively. Furthermore, by using the semiorder method on cones of the Banach space, we establish an existence and uniqueness criterion for positive solution of the problem. In particular, such a positive solution uλ(t) of the problem depends continuously on the parameter λ, i.e., uλ(t) is nondecreasing in λ, limλ→⁰⁺‖uλ‖=0 and limλ→+∞‖uλ‖=+∞.     

Isolated singularities for weighted quasilinear elliptic equations

We classify all the possible asymptotic behavior at the origin for positive solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations of the form div(|∇u|^p−2∇u)=b(x)h(u) in Ω?{0}, where 1<p?N and Ω is an open subset of RN with 0∈Ω. Our main result provides a sharp extension of a well-known theorem of Friedman and Véron for h(u)=uq and b(x)≡1, and a recent result of the authors for p=2 and b(x)≡1. We assume that the function h is regularly varying at ∞ with index q (that is, limt→∞h(λt)/h(t)=λq for every λ>0) and the weight function b(x) behaves near the origin as a function b₀(|x|) varying regularly at zero with index θ greater than −p. This condition includes b(x)=θ|x| and some of its perturbations, for instance, b(x)=θ|x|m(−log|x|) for any m∈R. Our approach makes use of the theory of regular variation and a new perturbation method for constructing sub- and super-solutions.     

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.     

Remarks on large solutions of a class of semilinear elliptic equations

In this paper, we show existence, uniqueness and exact asymptotic behavior of solutions near the boundary to a class of semilinear elliptic equations −Δu=λg(u)−b(x)f(u) in Ω, where λ is a real number, b(x)>0 in Ω and vanishes on ∂Ω. The special feature is to consider g(u) and f(u) to be regularly varying at infinity and b(x) is vanishing on the boundary with a more general rate function. The vanishing rate of b(x) determines the exact blow-up rate of the large solutions. And the exact blow-up rate allows us to obtain the uniqueness result.     

On a class of sublinear singular elliptic problems with convection term

We establish several results related to existence, nonexistence or bifurcation of positive solutions for the boundary value problem −Δu+K(x)g(u)+a|∇u|=λf(x,u) in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where Ω⊂RN(N?2) is a smooth bounded domain, 0<a?2, λ is a positive parameter, and f is smooth and has a sublinear growth. The main feature of this paper consists in the presence of the singular nonlinearity g combined with the convection term a|∇u|. Our approach takes into account both the sign of the potential K and the decay rate around the origin of the singular nonlinearity g. The proofs are based on various techniques related to the maximum principle for elliptic equations.     

Lane-Emden-Fowler equations with convection and singular potential

We are concerned with singular elliptic problems of the form −Δu±p(d(x))g(u)=λf(x,u)+μa|∇u| in Ω, where Ω is a smooth bounded domain in RN, d(x)=dist(x,∂Ω), λ>0, μ∈R, 0<a?2, and f is a nondecreasing function. We assume that p(d(x)) is a positive weight with possible singular behavior on the boundary of Ω and that the nonlinearity g is unbounded around the origin. Taking into account the competition between the anisotropic potential p(d(x)), the convection term a|∇u|, and the singular nonlinearity g, we establish various existence and nonexistence results.     

Existence and asymptotic behavior for elliptic equations with singular anisotropic potentials

We study the equation Δu+u|u|^p−1+V(x)u+f(x)=0 in Rn, where n?3 and p>n/(n−2). The forcing term f and the potential V can be singular at zero, change sign and decay polynomially at infinity. We can consider anisotropic potentials of form h(x)|x|⁻² where h is not purely angular. We obtain solutions u which blow up at the origin and do not belong to any Lebesgue space Lr. Also, u is positive and radial, in case f and V are. Asymptotic stability properties of solutions, their behavior near the singularity, and decay are addressed.     

Boundary behaviour of the unique solution to a singular Dirichlet problem with a convection term

By Karamata regular variation theory and constructing comparison functions, we derive that the boundary behaviour of the unique solution to a singular Dirichlet problem −Δu=b(x)g(u)+λq|∇u|, u>0, x∈Ω, u_|∂Ω=0, which is independent of λq|∇uλ|, where Ω is a bounded domain with smooth boundary in RN, λ∈R, q∈(0,2], lims→⁰⁺g(s)=+∞, and b is non-negative on Ω, which may be vanishing on the boundary.     

Blow-up results for a class of first-order nonlinear evolution inequalities

We investigate the non-existence of solutions to a class of evolution inequalities; in this case, as it happens in a relatively small number of blow-up studies, nonlinearities depend also on time-variable t and spatial derivatives of the unknown. The present results, which in great part do not require any assumption on the regularity of data, are completely new and shown with various applications. Some of these results referring to the problem u_t=Δu+a(x)|u|^p+λf(x) in R^N, t>0 include the non-existence results of positive global solutions obtained by Fujita and others when a≡1 and f≡0, Bandle-Levine and Levine-Meier when a≡|x|^m and f≡0, Pinsky when either f≡0 or f?0 and λ>0, Zhang and Bandle-Levine-Zhang when a≡1 and λ=1.     

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.     

Nontrivial solutions of Schrödinger equations with indefinite nonlinearities

We prove the existence of nontrivial solutions for the Schrödinger equation −Δu+V(x)u=aγ(x)f(u) in RN, where f is superlinear and subcritical at zero and infinity respectively, V is periodic and a(x) changes sign.     

Isolated singularities of solutions to quasi-linear elliptic equations with absorption

We study the problem of removability of isolated singularities for a general second-order quasi-linear equation in divergence form −divA(x,u,∇u)+a₀(x,u)+g(x,u)=0 in a punctured domain Ω?{0}, where Ω is a domain in Rn, n?3. The model example is the equation −Δpu+gu|u|^p−2+u|u|^q−1=0, q>p−1>0, p<n. Assuming that the lower-order terms satisfy certain non-linear Kato-type conditions, we prove that for all point singularities of the above equation are removable, thus extending the seminal result of Brezis and Véron.     

Uniqueness of positive solutions for a class of elliptic systems

In this article, we consider uniqueness of positive radial solutions to the elliptic system Δu+a(|x|)f(u,v)=0, Δv+b(|x|)g(u,v)=0, subject to the Dirichlet boundary condition on the open unit ball in RN (N?2). Our uniqueness results applies to, for instance, f(u,v)=uqvp, g(u,v)=upvq, p,q>0, p+q<1 or more general cases.