Multiplicity of nodal solutions to the Yamabe problem (Q1674632)

Let \((M,g)\) be a compact Riemannian manifold without boundary of dimension \(m\geq 3\) and \(\Gamma\) a closed subgroup of the group of isometries of \((M,g)\). Denote with \(\Gamma_p\) the \(\Gamma\)-orbit of a point \(p\in M\). Under the assumption that \(1 \leq \text{dim}(\Gamma_p)< m \) for every \(p\in M\), the authors establish existence of at least one positive and infinitely many nodal solutions to the Yamabe-type equation \[ -\text{div}_g(a\nabla u)+bu= c|u|^{2^*-2}u \;\text{ on } \;M, \] where \(a,b,c\in C^{\infty}(M)\) are \(\Gamma\)-invariant functions, \(a\) and \(c\) are positive, \(-\text{div}_g(a\nabla )+b\) is coercive and \(2^*=\frac{2m}{m-2}\). In particular, if \(R_g\) denotes the scalar curvature of \((M,g)\), the authors give conditions which guarantee that the Yamabe problem \[ \Delta_g u+ \frac{m-2}{4(m-1)}R_gu =\kappa u^{2^*-2} \;\;\text{ on } \;\;M \] admits infinitely many \(\Gamma\)-invariant nodal solutions. The proofs of these results follow the general framework of [Zbl 1279.35049], and are based on a compactness result and a variational principle for nodal solutions.