Exact multiplicity of positive solutions in semipositone problems with concave-convex type nonlinearities

We study the existence, multiplicity, and stability of positive solutions to: $$\eqalign{- u''(x) &= \lambda f(u(x)) \ \text{for} \ x \in (-1, 1), \lambda > 0, \cr u(-1)&= 0\ = u(1) ,}$$ where $f : [0, \infty) \to \Bbb R$ is semipositone ($f(0)<0$) and superlinear ($\lim_{t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joseph Iaia, S. Gadam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Szeged 2001-01-01
Series:Electronic Journal of Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations
Online Access:http://www.math.u-szeged.hu/ejqtde/periodica.html?periodica=1&paramtipus_ertek=publication&param_ertek=80
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Summary:We study the existence, multiplicity, and stability of positive solutions to: $$\eqalign{- u''(x) &= \lambda f(u(x)) \ \text{for} \ x \in (-1, 1), \lambda > 0, \cr u(-1)&= 0\ = u(1) ,}$$ where $f : [0, \infty) \to \Bbb R$ is semipositone ($f(0)<0$) and superlinear ($\lim_{t \to \infty} f(t) /t = \infty)$. We consider the case when the nonlinearity $f$ is of concave-convex type having exactly one inflection point. We establish that $f$ should be appropriately concave (by establishing conditions on $f$) to allow multiple positive solutions. For any $\lambda > 0$, we obtain the exact number of positive solutions as a function of $f(t)/t$ and establish how the positive solution curves to the above problem change. Also, we give examples where our results apply. This work extends the work in [1] by giving a complete classification of positive solutions for concave-convex type nonlinearities.
ISSN:1417-3875
1417-3875