A classification of solutions of certain nonlinear differential inequalities with application to theorems of Liouville type (Q1821971)

The paper deals with the differential inequality Tu(x)\(\geq p(x)f(u)\), where T is a second order differential operator, \(u: {\mathbb{R}}^ n\to {\mathbb{R}}\) and \(p: {\mathbb{R}}^ n\to {\mathbb{R}}_+\), \(f: {\mathbb{R}}\to {\mathbb{R}}_+\) are given functions. Conditions are given on T,f,p for the supremum of any bounded solution u to be among the zeros \(z_ i\) of f. If these zeros are isolated then the set of solutions is divided into classes \(S_ i\) such that \(u\in S_ i\) if and only if sup u\(=z_ i\). The results obtained generalize and/or sharpen theorems of Nagumo and Simoda (1951), Akô and Kusano (1964), Piepenbrink and the author (1970) and Goyal and Schaefer (1982).