On the number of solutions of some integral equations arising in radiative transfer (Q1120105)

Let \(\phi\) be a nonnegative function in \(L^{\infty}[0,1]\), and consider the finite measure \(d\mu_{\phi}(t)=\phi (t)dt\) on [0,1]. Let k be a measurable function on [0,1]\(\times [0,1]\) satisfying \(0<k(x,t)<1\) and \(k(x,t)+k(t,x)=1\) for all \(x,t\in [0,1]\). The author discusses the number of solutions of the nonlinear integral equation \[ f(x)=1+f(x)\int^{1}_{0}k(x,t)f(t)d\mu_{\phi}(t),\quad x\in [0,1], \] on C[0,1], the Banach space of all real continuous functions [0,1] with the maximum norm. Solutions f of this equations are supposed to be nonnegative functions in C[0,1]. The special case of \(k(x,t)=x/(x+t)\) is quite classical and it arises naturally in Chandrasekhar's work in the theories of radiative transfer and neutron transport. In this special case, \textit{M. M. Crum} [Q. J. Math. 18, 244-252 (1947; Zbl 0029.26901)] gave a proof of the existence of solutions, and also showed that if \(\mu_{\phi}[0,1]\leq 1/2\) there are at most two solutions while if \(\mu_{\phi}[0,1]=1/2\) there is only one solution.