Positive solutions of a nonlinear higher order boundary-value problem (Q2380909)

The paper presents results about the \(n\)-th order differential equation \[ u^{\left(n\right)}\left(t\right)+g\left(t\right)f\left(u\left(t\right)\right)=0, \quad 0\leq t\leq1, \] subject to the three-point boundary conditions \[ u^{\left(i\right)}\left(0\right)=0,~0\leq i \leq n-2,~\alpha u^{\left(n-2\right)}\left(\eta\right)=u^{\left(n-2\right)}\left(1\right), \] where \(n\geq3\), \(\alpha\) and \(\eta\) are constants such that \(0<\eta<1\) and \(1<\alpha<1/\eta\), and the functions \(f\) and \(g\) are continuous and nonnegative. Estimates for the positive solutions of the problem are obtained. More precisely, it is shown that the inequalities \(t^{n-3}u\left(1\right)\geq u\left(t\right)\geq t^{n-1}u\left(1\right)\) hold. A discussion on the ratio of the \(L^1\) norms of the lower and upper bounds shows that the estimates improve previously obtained results. The main results concern the existence of positive solutions in any of the cases when \(BF_0<1<Af_\infty\) or \(BF_\infty<1<Af_0\) and the nonexistence of such solutions when either \(Bf\left(x\right)<x\) or \(Af\left(x\right)>x\) for all \(x>0\). Here \(A\) and \(B\) are constants determined by the data of the problem and \(f_0=\liminf_{x\rightarrow0^+}{\left(f\left(x\right)/x\right)}\), \(F_0=\limsup_{x\rightarrow0^+}{\left(f\left(x\right)/x\right)}\), \(f_\infty=\liminf_{x\rightarrow+\infty}{\left(f\left(x\right)/x\right)}\) and \(F_\infty=\limsup_{x\rightarrow+\infty}{\left(f\left(x\right)/x\right)}\) . An example shows that the existence-nonexistence conditions are sharp and consistent. The proof is based on Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem.