Exact multiplicity and global structure of solutions for a class of semilinear elliptic equations

In this paper, we establish an exact multiplicity result of solutions for a class of semilinear elliptic equation. We also obtain a precise global bifurcation diagram of the solution set. As a result, an open problem presented by C.-H. Hsu and Y.-W. Shih C.-H. Hsu, Y.-W. Shih, Solutions of semilinear elliptic equations with asymptotic linear nonlinearity, Nonlinear Anal. 50 (2002) 275-283] is completely solved. Our argument is mainly based on bifurcation theory and continuation method.