The Hampwile theorem for nonlinear eigenvalues (Q914137)

The author gives conditions for the existence of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of nonlinear operators which are closely related to a (very weak form of the) mountain pass lemma. The main theorem reads as follows. Let A be a selfadjoint operator on \(L^ 2(\Omega)\) \((\Omega \subset {\mathbb{R}}^ n\) bounded and smooth) such that \(C^{\infty}_ 0(\Omega)\subseteq D(A^{1/2})\subseteq W^ m_ 2(\Omega)\), and let f be a real Carathéodory function on \(\Omega\times {\mathbb{R}}\). Suppose that there exists a positive function v on \(\Omega\) such that \(| f(x,t)| \leq v(x)^ q(1+| t|^{q-1})\) (where \(q\in [1,2n/(n-2m))\) for \(n>2m\), and \(q\in [1,\infty)\) for \(n\leq 2m)\), and the multiplication operator \((V\phi)(x)=v(x)\phi (x)\) is compact from \(D(A^{1/2})\) into \(L^ q(\Omega)\). Moreover, assume that \[ \int_{\Omega}\int^{u_ 0(x)}_{0}f(x,s)ds dx>0 \] for some \(u_ 0\in D(A^{1/2})\). Then there are two distinct functions \(u_ 1,u_ 2\in D(A^{1/2})\setminus \{0\}\) and constants \(\lambda_ 1,\lambda_ 2>0\) such that \(Au_ i=\lambda_ if(x,u_ i)\) \((i=1,2).\) Many illuminating examples are given as well.