Solving sharply a singular semilinear elliptic equation (Q923907)

In an annulus \[ \Omega := \{x\in\mathbb R^N\mid a<|x|< b\}, \quad 0 < a < b, \] the nonlinear BVP \[ -\Delta u= K(x) (|x|-a)^{-\alpha_1} (b-|x|)^{-\alpha_2} u^\beta, \] \[ u>0\quad \text{in }\Omega, \qquad u=0\quad \text{on }\partial \Omega \] is considered, focussing on the case \(0<\beta<1\). Here \(K\) is a non-negative continuous function on \(\overline{\Omega}\) with \(K \not\equiv 0\) on \(\partial \Omega\), so that singular behavior of the nonlinearity at the boundary is permitted. Existence of a radial classical solution is proved when \(K\) is radial and \(\alpha_1, \alpha_2<\beta+1\), \(0<\beta<1\). For the case \(\alpha_1,\alpha_2\geq \beta+1\) nonexistence is proved using the Pohozaev identity. The existence proof is based on a version of Krasnosel'skij's fixed point theorem for mappings of cones, using a cone whose construction rests on a particular kind of Harnack type inequality satisfied by radial solutions of Poisson's equation in an annulus. For the case \(\alpha_1,\alpha_2<1\), but \(K\) not necessarily radial, the existence of weak solutions is derived from these results by the method of sub- and supersolutions.