On the structure of the conformal Gaussian curvature equation on \(R^ 2\). II (Q1184148)

This paper is a sequel to a previous work of the authors [part I, Duke Math. J. 62, No. 3, 721-737 (1991; Zbl 0733.35037)], where they study the problem of finding a metric on \(\mathbb{R}^ 2\) conformal with the Euclidean one and having a prescribed scalar curvature \(K(x)\). The authors are able to obtain incredibly accurate classification results provided that \(K\) satisfies a certain power-like decaying at infinity. Then one can find a whole family of conformal metrics with curvature \(K\). This family is bijectively determined by a parameter \(\alpha\) which describes the asymptotic behaviour of the metric at infinity. The method of proof is a clever and delicate adaptation of Perron's method of sub- and super solutions.