Three solutions theorems for nonlinear operator equations and applications (Q2583110)

The authors show that, under certain conditions, the operator equation \[ Lu\;=\;Fu \] has three solutions, where \(L\) is a linear operator and \(F\) is a continuous limit-increasing operator defined on an order interval in a Banach space \(E\), partially ordered by a cone \(P\subset E\). This is based on the corresponding fixed point result, namely, Theorem 14.2 of \textit{H.~Amann} [SIAM Rev.~18, 620--709 (1976; Zbl 0345.47044)]. An application to the following boundary value problem for a second order differential equation is given: \[ \left\{\begin{aligned} & -(p(t)u'(t))'+q(t)u(t) = f(t,u), \quad t\in [0,1], \\ & \;\alpha_0u(0)-\beta_0u'(0)=0, \;\;\alpha_1u(1)-\beta_1u'(1)=0, \end{aligned} \right. \] where \(p\in C^1[0,1], \;q\in C[0,1],\;f\in C([0,1]\times \mathbb R), \;\alpha_0+\beta_0>0\), and \(\alpha_1+\beta_1>0\).