Criticality and ground states for second-order elliptic equations (Q910928)

Let P be a second-order elliptic operator in a domain \(\Omega \subseteq {\mathbb{R}}^ n\). Suppose that P admits a positive minimal Green function \(G^{\Omega}_ P\) in \(\Omega\). It is the main purpose of this paper to prove that if \(W\in C^{\alpha}(\Omega)\) is a small perturbation of P in \(\Omega\), then max W(x)\(>0\) (min W(x)\(<0)\) iff there exists a unique \(t_+>0\) \((t_-<0)\) such that the equation \((P-t_+(t_-)W)u=0\) has a positive solution \(u_+\) \((u_-)\) in \(\Omega\), satisfying \(u_+\) \((u_-)\sim g^{\Omega}_ P\) outside a compact set in \(\Omega\). If one gives up the assumption that W is a small perturbation then one can still describe (Theorem 3.7) the set \[ S=\{t\in {\mathbb{R}}| \quad P+tw\quad admits\quad a\quad positive\quad solution\quad in\quad \Omega \}. \] For further relevant results see the author [``On criticality and ground states of second-order elliptic equations. II'', J. Differ. Equations (to appear)].