Higher order boundary value problems with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions (Q1049501)

The authors are concerned with the existence of solutions to the higher-order differential equation \[ u^{(2n)}=g(t)f(t,u),\quad t\in(0,1) \] subject to the nonhomogeneous multi-point boundary conditions: \[ \begin{cases} u^{(2i)}(0)-\sum^m_{j=1}a_ju^{2i}(t_j)=(-1)^{i}\lambda_{2i},\quad & i=0,\dots,n-1,\\ u^{(2i)}(1)-\sum^m_{j=1}b_ju^{2i}(t_j)=(-1)^{i}\lambda_{2i+1}, & i=0,\dots,n-1,\end{cases} \] where \(n, m\geq1\) are integers, \(g\in C(0,1),\) \(f\in C([0,1]\times[0,\infty)),\) \(\lambda_i\geq0\) for \(i=0,\dots,2n-1,\) and \(a_j, b_j\geq0,\;t_j\in(0,1)\) for \(j=1,\dots,m.\) Using fixed point index theory, the authors first derive sufficient conditions to have positive solution and to have no positive solution depending on different ranges of \(\lambda_0,\dots,\lambda_{2n-1}.\) Existence of positive solution is then obtained for all \((\lambda_0,\dots,\lambda_{2n-1})\in\mathbb{R}_+^{2n}\setminus\{0,\dots,0\}\) using the Schauder fixed point theorem. Finally, the authors prove existence of a bounded and continuous interface \(\Gamma\) separating \(\mathbb{R}_+^{2n}\setminus\{0,\dots,0\}\) into two disjoint subsets \(\Lambda^E\) and \(\Lambda^N\) with \(\Gamma\subseteq\Lambda^E\) such that the boundary value problem has at least two positive solutions for each \((\lambda_0,\dots,\lambda_{2n-1})\in\Lambda^E\setminus\Gamma,\) one positive solution for each \((\lambda_0,\dots,\lambda_{2n-1})\in\Gamma,\) and no positive solution for any \((\lambda_0,\dots,\lambda_{2n-1})\in\Lambda^N.\) For this latter case, the classical upper and lower solution method is developed.