Pairs of positive solutions for the periodic scalar \(p\)-Laplacian (Q1031986)

The authors investigate the existence of multiple positive solutions for the following nonlinear periodic problem driven by a scalar \(p\)-Laplacian and with a nonsmooth potential (hemivariatonal inequality): \[ -(|x'(t)|^{p-2}x'(t))'\in \partial j(t,x(t)), \quad \text{a.e. on } [0,b] \] \[ x(0)=x(b), \quad x'(0)=x'(b), \quad 1<p<+\infty, \] where \(j(t,x)\) is jointly measurable, \(x\to j(t,x)\) is locally Lipschitz and, in general, nonsmooth, and \( \partial j(t,x)\) denote the generalized subdifferential of \(j(t,x).\) Using a combination of variational techniques and degree-theoretic methods based on a degree map for certain multivalued perturbations of \((S)_+\)-operators, the existence of two positive solutions is proved.