Positive solutions for nonlinear periodic problems (Q1007075)

The paper studies the existence of positive solutions for the following nonlinear periodic problem with a nonsmooth potential \[ -(|x'(t)|^{p-2}x'(t))'\in \partial j(t,x(t))\quad \text{a.e. on} \;[0,b], \tag{1} \] \[ x(0)=x(b),\quad x'(0)=x'(b). \tag{2} \] Here \(b>0\), \(p>1\). In this problem the potential function \(j(t,x)\) is jointly measurable, \(x\to j(t,x)\) is locally Lipschitz and in general nonsmooth and \(\partial j(t,x)\) denotes the generalized subdifferential of the function \(x\to j(t,x)\). The main result is the existence of positive solutions for problem (1), (2). The proofs are based on the degree theory for certain multivalued perturbations of \((S)_+\)-operators introduced by S. Hu and N. S. Papageorgiou. Another basic tool is the spectrum of a weighted periodic eigenvalue problem wih the scalar \(p\)-Laplacian, studied by M. Zhang.