Curves of equiharmonic solutions and ranges of nonlinear equations (Q1038574)

In this interesting paper, the author studies existence and multiplicity of solutions for the semilinear problem: \[ \begin{aligned} &\Delta u + kg(u) = f(x) := c_1\varphi_1(x) + \cdots c_n\varphi_n(x) + e(x), \quad x \in U\\ &u= 0 \text{ on } \partial{U}, \end{aligned}\tag{P} \] on a smooth domain \(U \subset\mathbb R^N\). Here \(f \in L^2(U)\), \(g \in C^2(\mathbb{R})\), \(\varphi_m\) is the \(m\)-th eigenfunction of the Laplacian, and \(e \perp E_n:=\text{span}\{\varphi_1,\dots,\varphi_n\}\). A solution of (P) is written in the form \(u = a_1\varphi_1+\cdots+ a_n\varphi_n+U_a\) with \(U_a \perp E_n\) and \(a = (a_1,\dots,a_n)\) is called the \(n\)-th signature of \(u\). Keeping \(e\) and \(a\) fixed, one looks for \(u\) of \(n\)-th signature \(a\) and \(c=(c_1,\dots,c_n)\) as a function of \(k\) solving (P). Using the implicit function theorem and starting from \(k=0\), a curve \(k \mapsto (u,c)\) can be obtained as long as \(k\max{g'(R)} < \lambda_{n+1}\) (under suitable assumptions). Then, it is shown that one can continue solutions of any \(n\)-th signature \(\bar{a}\) to a solution of arbitrary \(n\)-th signature \(\hat{a}\) by following any continuous curve joining \(\bar{a}\) to \(\hat{a}\). The study of the map \(a \mapsto c\) provides existence and multiplicity results for the problem (P). The author derives many known results in the particular cases \(n=1\) and \(n=2\); namely results due to Landesman-Lazer, de Figueiredo-Ni, Ambrosetti-Prodi, Berger-Podolak, and Amann-Hess.