Exhaustive existence and non-existence results for some prototype polyharmonic equations in the whole space (Q2003972)

The authors establish exhaustive existence and non-existence results for the following semilinear polyharmonic equations \[ \Delta^m u = \pm u^\alpha \qquad\text{in }\mathbb{R}^n,\tag{1} \] where $m\geq 2$ is integer and $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$ is a fixed parameter. As described in the introduction, semilinear polyharmonic equations naturally intervene in several physical phenomena (elasticity, the equilibrium states for thin films, the modeling of electrostatic actuations, etc.); moreover, such equations are also connected with the famous Yamabe problem in Conformal Geometry. The main results of the paper are Theorems 2.1 and 2.2, which provide a complete answer to the problem of the existence/non-existence of \textit{classical} so\-lu\-tions of (1) \textit{for any choice of $m\geq 1$ and $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$}. {\textbf{Result for $\Delta^m u = -u^\alpha$}.} In this case, the authors prove the following Theorem 2.1. For $m\geq 1$ and $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$, we consider the equation \[ \Delta^m u = -u^\alpha\qquad\text{in }\mathbb{R}^n.\tag{2} \] Moreover, we define \[ p_S(n,m) := \begin{cases} \frac{n+2m}{n-2m} & \text{if }n\geq 2m+1, \\ \infty, & \text{otherwise}. \end{cases}\tag{3} \] Then, the following facts hold. \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] Equation (2) possesses a positive solution \textit{if and only if} either \(n\geq 3\) and \(\alpha < -\frac{1}{m-1}\) or $m$ is odd and $\alpha\geq p_S(n,m)$; \item[(ii)] Equation (2) with $\alpha\geq 0$ has a non-trivial non-negative solutions \textit{if and only if} $m$ is odd and $\alpha\geq p_S(n,m)$. \end{itemize} {\textbf{Result for $\Delta^m u = u^\alpha$}.} In this case, the authors prove the following Theorem 2.2. For $m\geq 1$ and $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$, we consider the equation \[ \Delta^m u = u^\alpha\qquad\text{in }\mathbb{R}^n.\tag{4} \] Then, if $p_S(n,m)$ is as in , the following facts hold. \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] Equation (4) possesses a positive solution \textit{if and only if} either $\alpha\leq 1$ or $m$ is even and $\alpha\geq p_S(n,m)$; \item[(ii)] Equation (4) with $\alpha\geq 0$ has a non-trivial non-negative solutions \textit{if and only if} either $0\leq \alpha\leq 1$ or $m$ is even and $\alpha\geq p_S(n,m)$. \end{itemize} The techniques exploited to prove Theorems 2.1 and 2.2 are sophisticated, and vary according with the possible values of the exponent $\alpha$: for example, in the case of Theorem 2.1 and $\alpha\in[0,1]$ (i.e., the sublinear case), the authors need to combine some deep integral estimates with a Moser-type iteration method. In connection with assertion (2) of Theorems 2.1 and 2.2., we mention the pre\-sen\-ce of two `maximum principle-type' results for (1) (i.e., Pro\-po\-si\-tions 2.1 and 2.2), showing that the set of non-tri\-vial, non-negative solutions and the set of positive so\-lu\-tions coincide \textit{if and only if} $m$ and $\alpha$ satisfy suitable relations.