Maximum principles for ordinary differential inequalities of fourth and sixth order (Q913058): Difference between revisions

The authors extend the maximum principle for second order differential inequalities to certain classes of differential inequalities of fourth and sixth order. For example, let \(L_ iu=u''+f_ i(x)u'+h_ i(x)u,\) \(i=1,2\), where \(f_ 1\), \(h_ 1\) are continuous on (a,b) and \(f_ 2,h_ 2\) are of class \(C^ 2(a,b)\). Let \(h_ i(x)\leq 0\), \(i=1,2\). If \(u\in C^ 4(a,b)\cap C^ 1[a,b]\) satisfies the differential inequalities \(L_ 1L_ 2u\geq 0\), \(u'(a)\geq 0\), \(u'(b)\leq 0\) and if u assumes zero as a minimum at a point in (a,b), then \(u(x)=0\) on [a,b].