Further investigation of the Volterra-Lotka competition model with diffusion (Q1129803)

The paper is concerned with the existence of time-independent solutions of the system of equations \[ u_t=k_1\Delta u+u(a-bu-cv)\text{ in }\Omega,\quad u=0\text{ on }\partial\Omega \] \[ v_t=k_2\Delta v+v(d-eu-fv)\text{ in }\Omega,\quad v=0\text{ on }\partial\Omega \] in a bounded domain \(\Omega\). Here the diffusion coefficients \(k_1\) and \(k_2\) are positive constants, and the functions \(a\) and \(f\) are nonnegative on \(\overline\Omega\). These equations model the evolution of populations \(u\) and \(v\) competing for resources in a region \(\Omega\). While both necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of steady state solutions are known in the case of Neumann boundary conditions (which imply the populations cannot leave \(\Omega)\), the problem is more difficult in the Dirichlet case (in which the populations are annihilated on the boundary). This paper uses a simple upper and lower solutions argument to give conditions on the coefficients under which existence is guaranteed. Prospective readers of the paper should be aware that it is somewhat marred by typographical errors and imprecise statements.