Ground states of semilinear elliptic equations: A geometric approach (Q1590093)

The authors establish the existence of positive radial ground states of the semilinear elliptic problem \[ \begin{cases} \Delta u+u^p+u^q=0,\quad u>0\quad\text{in }\mathbb R^n,\quad n\geq 3,\\ u=u(r)=u(|x|),\quad\lim_{|x|\to\infty}u(|x|)=0, \quad 1<p<\dfrac{n+2}{n-2}<q,\end{cases}\tag{1} \] and in the main result answers an interesting question raised by W.-M. Ni. Theorem: Let \(q>(n+2)/(n-2)\) in \((1)\) be fixed. For every integer \(k\geq 1\) there is a number \(p_k\), with \(1<p_k<(n+2)/(n-2)\), such that if \(p\) in \((1)\) has the property that \(p_k<p<(n+2)/(n-2)\), then \((1)\) has at least \(k\) positive radial ground states, with fast decay, namely such that \(u(r)=O(r^{2-n})\) as \(r\to\infty\). Moreover, there is a strictly increasing sequence \(p_j\nearrow(n+2)/(n-2)\), such that if \(p=p_j\) in \((1)\), then problem \((1)\) admits a positive radial singular ground state, namely with \(u(r)\to\infty\) as \(r\to 0^+\), with fast decay, or with slow decay, that is with \(u(r)=Ar^{2/(1-p)}+o(r^{2/(1-p)})\) as \(r\to\infty\). Finally, there is \(\overline p>n/(n-2)\), such that if \(1<p< \overline p\) in \((1)\), then problem \((1)\) admits no positive radial ground states, singular or not singular. Let \(n/(n-2)<p<(n+2)/(n-2)\) in \((1)\) be fixed. For every integer \(k\geq 1\) there is a number \(q_k>(n+2)/(n-2)\) such that if \(q\) in \((1)\) has the property that \((n+2)/(n-2)<q<q_k\), then \((1)\) has at least \(k\) positive radial ground states, with fast decay. Moreover, there is a strictly decreasing sequence \(q_j\searrow(n+2)/(n-2)\), such that if \(q=q_j\) in \((1)\), then problem \((1)\) admits either a positive radial slow decay ground state, or a positive radial slow decay singular ground state. The proof of the theorem is based on preliminaries results of independent interest and on a very delicate deep phase-space analysis of the corresponding three-dimensional autonomous first-order system equivalent to the radial form of the equation in (1), obtained by the Emden-Fowler transformation.