Periodic parabolic problems with concave and convex nonlinearities (Q2474184)

Let \(\Omega\subseteq\mathbb R^N\) be a smooth bounded domain and \(T>0\). The authors consider a parabolic evolution equation of the form \[ Lu=\lambda a(x,t)u^p+b(x,t)u^q\text{ on }\Omega\times\mathbb R;\;u=0\text{ on }\partial\Omega\times\mathbb R\text{ and }u(x,t)\;T\text{-periodic in }t.\tag{1} \] Here \(0<p<1<q\), while \(L\) is a parabolic operator of the form \[ Lu=u_t-\text{div}(A\nabla u)+\langle B,\nabla u\rangle+c_0u,\tag{2} \] where \(A=(a_{ij}(x,t))\), \(i,j\leq n\), \(B=(b_1(x,t),\dots,b_N(x,t))\) are \(T\)-periodic in \(t\). One also has \[ \textstyle\sum a_{ij}(x,t)\xi_i\xi_j\geq\alpha_0|\xi|^2,\text{ some }\alpha_0>0,\quad \forall x,t.\tag{3} \] Various function spaces are introduced in order to specify the data \(a_{ij}\), \(b_i\) etc. involved in (1)--(3). Eg. \(C^{1+{\mathcal V},(1+{\mathcal V})/2}_T\) is the space of \(T\)-periodic functions in \(C^{1+{\mathcal V},(1+{\mathcal V})/2}(\overline \Omega\times\mathbb R)\), while \(P^0\) is the interior of the positive cone of \(C^{1+{\mathcal V},(1+{\mathcal V})/2}_T.\) After some preliminaries, the authors state Thm. 1, which asserts the following: If \(a,b\in L^r_T\), \(r>N+2\), with \(a\geq 0\) and not identical zero, then there is \(\Lambda>0\) such that (1) has a solution \(u_\lambda\in W^{1,2}_{r,T}\cap P^0\) for all \(0<\lambda<\Lambda\); if \(\Lambda<\lambda\) there is no positive solution of (1), and if also \(b\geq 0\) then for all \(0<\lambda<\Lambda\) there is a minimal solution \(u_\lambda\in W^{1,2}_{r,T}\cap P^0\). The proof relies in part on earlier results by the authors and others, in part on the method of sub- and supersolutions. In Thm. 3.3, more information on the solution \(u(x,t)\) of Thm. 3.1 is obtained by taking the behaviour of \(a(x,t)\) near the boundary into account. Thm. 3.5 finally provides estimates, i.e., lower and upper bounds, for the critical value \(\Lambda\) of Thm. 3.1.