On the uniqueness of solutions of a semilinear equation in an annulus (Q2032105)

The uniqueness of positive solutions of the problem \[ u''(r) + \frac{n-1}{r}u'(r)+ f(u(r)) = 0,\, r\in(a,b);\; u(a)=u(b)=0,\tag{*} \] where \(n\ge2\) is considered. Let \(f\) be such that the following conditions hold: (\(f_1\)) \(f\) is continuous in \([0,\infty)\), continuously differentiable in \((0,\infty)\) and \(f'\in L^1(0,1)\); (\(f_2\)) \(f(0) = 0\) and either there exist \(\beta>B>0\) such that \(f(s) > 0\) for \(s > B\), \(f(s)\le 0\) for \(s\in[0, B]\) with \(f(s) < 0\) in \((0,\epsilon)\) for some \(\epsilon> 0\) and \(\int_0^\beta f(t)\,dt=0\), or \(\beta = B = 0\) and \(f(s) > 0\) for \(s > B\); (\(f_3\)) \((\frac{F}{f})'(s)\ge \frac{n-2}{2n}\) for all \(s >\beta\), where \(F(s) = \int_0^s f(t)\, dt\) (subcriticality). The main results are. Theorem 1.1. If \(f\) satisfies (\(f_1\))-(\(f_3\)), and assume furthermore that \(f\) satisfies (\(f_4\)) \(f(s)\le f'(s)(s-B)\) for all \(s>B\), \(f(s)\not\equiv f'(s)(s-B)\) for \(s\in[B;\beta]\) (superlinearity). Then problem (*) has at most one positive solution for every \(a\) and \(b\) with \(0<a<b<\infty\). Theorem 1.2. If \(f\) satisfies (\(f_1\))-(\(f_3\)), with \(B>0\), then problem (*) with \(b=\infty\) has at most one positive solution for every \(a\) with \(0<a<\infty\).