Multiple positive solutions of nonlinear singular boundary value problem for fourth-order equations. (Q1767118)

The existence of at least two positive solutions of the following fourth-order boundary value problem \[ x^{(4)}(t)=f(t,x(t),x''(t)),\quad 0<t<1;\qquad x(0)=x(1)=x''(0)=x''(1)=0, \] is discussed. Here, \(f\) may be singular at \(t=0\), \(t=1\), \(x=0\) and \(x''=0\). The proofs are based on Krasnoselskii's fixed-point theorem on cone expansion and compression, a priori estimates on positive solutions and some properties of the spectral radius of a positive completely continuous operator.