Multiple positive solutions of four-point nonlinear boundary value problems for a higher-order \(p\)-Laplacian operator with all derivatives (Q1029470)

The authors study the higher-order quasi-linear equation with a \(p\)-Laplacian: \[ (\phi_p(u^{(n-1)}(t)))'+g(t)f(u(t),u'(t),\dots,u^{(n-2)}(t))=0,\quad 0<t<1, \] subject to the following four-point boundary conditions: \[ \begin{cases} u^{(i)}(0)=0,\quad 0\leq i\leq n-3, \\ u^{(n-2)}(0)-B_0(u^{(n-1)}(\xi))=0, \\ u^{(n-2)}(1)+B_1(u^{(n-1)}(\eta))=0, \end{cases} \] where \(n\geq 3\), \(\phi_p(s)=|s|^{p-2}s,p>1\), \(\phi_q=\phi_p^{-1}\), \(\frac{1}{p}+\frac{1}{q}=1\). \(\xi,\eta\in (0,1)\) with \(\xi<\eta\). Some new results are obtained for the multiplicity of positive solutions by applying the Avery-Henderson fixed point theorem and the Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem in a cone, which is different from the previous approaches.