Positive solutions of \(m\)-point boundary value problems (Q1433350)

This paper deals with the second-order \(m\)-point boundary value problem \[ u''(x)+h(x)f(u(x))=0, \quad x \in [0,1], \] \[ u(0)=0,\;u(1)=\sum^{m-2}_{i=1}a_i u(\xi_i), \] where \(h : \;]0,1[\; \to [0,+\infty[\) is continuous, \(h \not \equiv 0\), \(\int_0^1h < +\infty\), \(f : [0,+\infty[ \; \to [0,+\infty[\) is continuous, \(\xi_i\in \;]0,1[\) with \(0<\xi_1<\xi_2<\dots<\xi_{m-2}<1\), and \(a_i\in[0,\infty[\) with \(\sum^{m-2}_{i=1}a_i<1\). Assuming some conditions on the interaction of the quotient \(f(u)/u\) with the first eigenvalue of an associated linear problem, the authors prove the existence of positive solutions and multiple positive solutions by means of fixed-point index theory.