On fixed points through iteratively generated chains with applications to differential equations (Q1118620)

Iterations are used to construct iteratively generated chains. Let \(P=(P,\leq)\) be an ordered set, \([a)=\{u\in P|\) \(a\leq u\}\), \((b]=\{u\in P|\) \(u\leq b\}\), G :(b]\(\to (b]\) be an increasing mapping. We say that a chain (or linearly ordered set) C is an iteratively G- generated b-chain, if Gb is the largest element of C, and if Gc\(\in C\), \(Gc<Gb\), implies \(c=G_ 1(v)\), where \(G_ 1(v)=\inf_{n}G^ nv\) and \(v=\inf \{Gu\in C|\) \(Gc<Gu\}\). Roughly speaking this means that two consecutive elements of the chain are separated by a sequence of iterations. Using these chains, the author proves existence results for maximal and minimal fixed points of increasing operators on ordered sets. Via these operators and the comparison method the iteratively generated chain approximations are applied to derive existence, uniqueness and estimation results for solutions of differential equations. The main feature is the lack of continuity hypotheses.