Second and higher order systems of boundary value problems (Q1174850)

The author studies some linear homogeneous boundary conditions for second and higher order systems of ordinary differential equations. The main proofs are carried out by means of topological techniques. The main result concerns a Dirichlet boundary value problem for a second order differential equation which can be singular at the end points. A careful use of some inequalities yields the possibility a Nonlinear Alternative result due to A. Granas. The results are then extended to a boundary value problem of the type \(y(0)=y'(1)=0\) and then to higher order equations with similar boundary conditions.