Existence theory for single and multiple solutions to singular positone boundary value problems (Q5949599)

The boundary value problem \[ y''+q(t)f(t,y)=0,\quad 0<t<1,\quad y(0)=y(1)=0,\tag{*} \] is studied. Here, \(f\) may be singular at \(y=0\), and \(q\) may be singular at \(t=0\) and/or \(t=1\). The authors establish the existence of a positive \(C[0,1]\cap C^2(0,1)\) solution to the problem considered assuming that \[ q\in C(0,1),\;q>0 \text{ on }(0,1)\text{ and }\int^1_0t(1-t)q(t)dt<\infty, \] \[ f:[0,1]\times (0,\infty)\to (0,\infty)\text{ is continuous, }0\leq f(t,y)\leq g(y)+h(y)\text{ on }[0,1]\times (0,\infty), \] where \(g>0\) and \(h\geq 0\) are suitable functions, and for each constant \(H>0\) there exists a function \(\psi_H\in C[0,1]\) positive on \((0,1)\) and such that \(f(t,u)\geq \psi_H(t)\) on \((0,1)\times (0,H]\). By using the existence result obtained and a fixed-point argument, the authors establish yet the existence of two nonnegative solutions to problem (*) with \(f(t,y)=g(y(t))+h(y(t))\), where \(g + h\) may be singular at \(y=0\).