On solutions to coupled multiparameter nonlinear Sturm-Liouville boundary value problems whose state components have a specified nodal structure (Q1196064)

The paper is a continuation of investigations of the structure of the solution set to the two-parameter \((\lambda,\mu)\) system \(-(p_ 1(x)u')'+q_ 1(x)u=\lambda u+f(u,v)u\), \(-(p_ 2(x)v')'+q_ 2(x)v=\mu v+g(u,v)v\), where \(x\in(a,b)\), \(f(s,0)=g(0,t)=0\), \((s,t)\in R^ 2\) which were started in the author's papers [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 107, No. 3, 633-644 (1989; Zbl 0683.34010) and Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A 119, No. 3/4, 347-365 (1991; Zbl 0744.34028)]. It is demonstrated that solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,u,v)\) with \(u\) having \(n-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) and \(v\) having \(m-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) arise as global secondary bifurcations from solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,u,0)\) with \(u\) having \(n-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) and from solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,0,v)\) with \(v\) having \(m-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\). Moreover the fact that solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,u,v)\) with \(u\) having \(n-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) and \(v\) having \(m-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) serve as a link between solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,u,0)\) with \(u\) having \(n-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) and solutions of the form \((\lambda,\mu,0,v)\) with \(v\) having \(m-1\) simple zeros in \((a,b)\) is established.