Semilinear elliptic equations on unbounded domains (Q2266378)

A variational proof is given for the existence of a nontrivial non- negative weak solution, having certain symmetric properties, for a non- autonomous boundary value problem \(-\Delta u-\lambda u=r(x)f(u(x)),\quad x\in \Omega,\quad u\in H^ 1_ 0(\Omega).\) Here f is a given increasing continuous function satisfying certain superlinear growth conditions, \(\lambda <\lambda_ 0\) is prescribed, either \(\Omega ={\mathbb{R}}^ N\) and \(\lambda_ 0=0\), or \(\Omega =\Theta \times {\mathbb{R}}^{N-K}\) for some bounded domain \(\Theta \subset {\mathbb{R}}^ K\) and \(\lambda_ 0\) is the least eigenvalue of the Dirichlet problem for -\(\Delta\) in \(\Theta\), \(N\geq 2\), and r is a given bounded non-negative measurable function on \(\Omega\) that is symmetric or symmetric decreasing with respect to sufficiently many subspaces of \(R^ N\). The result is proved using a form of the Mountain Pass Lemma for an order preserving operator, due to \textit{H. Hofer} [Math. Ann. 261, 493-514 (1982; Zbl 0488.47034)], applied to a cone of symmetric decreasing functions in \(H^ 1_ 0(\Omega)\) whose compactness properties were investigated by \textit{P.-L. Lions} [J. Funct. Anal. 49, 315-334 (1982; Zbl 0501.46032)]. Related results for the autonomous case \(r\equiv 1\) have been obtained by \textit{M. J. Esteban} [Nonlinear Anal., Theory Methods Appl. 7, 365-379 (1983; Zbl 0513.35035)].