Upper estimate for positive solutions of the \((p,n-p)\) conjugate boundary value problem (Q412426)

The author is concerned with the \((p,n-p)\) conjugate boundary value problem \[ \begin{cases} (-1)^{n-p}u^{(n)}(t)=f(t,u(t)),&0\leq t\leq1,\\ u^{(i)} (0)=0,&0\leq i\leq p-1,\\ u^{(j)}(1)=0,&0\leq j\leq n-p+1, \end{cases} \] where \(f: [0,1]\times[0,\infty)\longrightarrow[0,\infty)\) is a continuous function. This problem encompasses second-order bvps for \(n=2,\,p=1\) and fourth-order bvps for the beam equation for \(n=4,\,p=2\). In the particular case \((n-1,1)\), the author in [\textit{B. Yang}, ``Positive solutions of the \((n-1,1)\) conjugate boundary value problem'', Electron. J. Qual. Theory Differ. Equ., No. 53, 13 p., (2010; Zbl 1211.34032)], obtained estimates of the form \(u(t)\leq W(t)\| u\|\) for \(0\leq t\leq1\). This paper extends such estimates to the general case \((n,p)\).