A theorem of the Krein-Rutman type for an integro-differential operator (Q1174394)

The problem \(-\Delta u+Bu=\lambda mu\) in \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^ n\), (\(\Omega\) bounded and smooth), \(u=0\) on \(\partial\Omega\), is considered, where \(B=\delta(-\Delta+\gamma)^{-1}\) under Dirichlet boundary conditions, \(\lambda\) is a real parameter and \(m\) is a continuous indefinite weight function assuming a positive value at some point \(x_ 0\in\Omega\). The unbounded region \(E_ M\subset(0,+\infty)\times(0,+\infty)\) is characterized for which the following assertion holds (Theorem 1): If \((\delta,\gamma)\in E_ M\), the first positive eigenvalue \(\hat\lambda_ 1(\delta,\gamma)\) is simple, \(\varphi_ 1(\delta,\gamma)\) can be taken positive in \(\Omega\) and the exterior normal derivative of \(\varphi_ 1(\delta,\gamma)\) is negative on \(\partial\Omega\). Further, this result is applied to the nonlinear eigenvalue problem connected with the reaction-diffusion system.