Non-resonance and eigenvalues of nonlinear singular boundary value problems (Q1612617)

The nonlinear eigenvalue problem \[ -Lx=\lambda f(t,x(t)),\;t\in (0,1), \;x(0)=x(1)=0, \] is considered, with \(Lx=1/p (px')'\), \(p\in C^1[0,1]\), \(p>0\) on \((0,1)\), \(1/p\in L_1(0,1)\). The function \(f\) is of the form \(f(x,t)=r(t)x+g(t,x)\), with \(r\in C(0,1)\), \(r>0\), and \(g(t,-x)=-g(t,x)\) for \(t\in(0,1)\), \(x\in \mathbb{R}\), \(xg(t,x)>0\) if \(x\neq 0\). Further conditions among these functions are imposed. Starting with properties of the well-known Sturm-Liouville problem \(-Lx=\lambda rx\), a fixed-point argument leads to the following theorem: If \(\lambda _k\) denotes the \(k\)th eigenvalue of the linear problem, whose eigenfunctions have \(\Gamma_k\) zeros in \((0,1)\), then there is \(\delta _k>0\) such that for \(\lambda \in [\lambda_k-\delta _k,\lambda_k)\) the nonlinear problem has at least two eigenfunctions with \(\Gamma _k\) zeros. Under additional assumptions it is shown that for \(\lambda <\lambda _k\) there is at least one eigenfunction with \(\Gamma_k\) zeros and a certain behaviour at \(0\) and \(1\).