On a class of nonlinear Neumann problems (Q1176041)

The authors consider a semilinear elliptic problem with nonhomogeneous Neumann conditions at the boundary \[ \Delta u+a(x)g(u)=0\hbox { in } D,\;\partial u/\partial n=\psi\hbox { on } \partial D \] where \(D\) is a bounded smooth domain in \(\mathbb{R}^ N\) and \(g\) is assumed to be sublinear at infinity. Several types of results are proved. First the existence problem is studied by transforming the above equation into an integral one and then applying Schauder's fixed point theorem coupled with a sub-, super- solution technique. A second problem the authors are interested in deals with qualitative properties of the solution set \({\mathcal S}\) of the above equation. Under some assumptions on \(a\) and \(g\) the authors can prove that \({\mathcal S}\) is uniformly bounded from below and/or above. Uniqueness and nonexistence questions are answered and finally it is treated the problem of existence and uniqueness of positive solutions.