A multiplicity result for a degenerate elliptic equation with critical growth on noncontractible domains (Q1876352)

This paper deals with the critical growth boundary value problem \[ -\Delta_{H^n} u=u^{(Q+2)/(Q-2)} +\lambda u\text{ in }\Omega,\;u>0\text{ in }\Omega,\;u=0\text{ on }\partial\Omega,\tag{1} \] where \(\Omega\) is a smooth bounded open subset of the Heisenberg group \(H^n\), \(\Delta_{H^n}\) is the subelliptic Laplacian on \(H^n\), \(Q=2 n+2\) and \(\lambda>0\). The first eigenvalue of \(-\Delta_{H^n}\) is denoted by \(\lambda_1,\lambda_1>0\). The authors find at least \(m+1\) distinct solutions of (1) with \(m=\text{cat}_\Omega (\Omega)\) if \(0<\lambda\ll \lambda_1\) and \(\Omega\) satisfies a suitable geometric condition of regularity. The symbol \(\text{cat}_X (Y)\) stands for the Lusternik-Shnirelman category of \(Y\) in \(X\), i.e., the least non-negative integer \(m\) such that \(Y\) can be covered by \(m\) closed and contractible subsets of \(X\).