Existence and nonexistence of positive solutions for singular \((p, q)\)-equations with superdiffusive perturbation (Q2044614)

Let \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N\) be a bounded domain with \(C^2\)-boundary \(\partial \Omega\). The authors study a singular \((p, q)\)-equation of the form \[ \begin{cases} -\mathrm{div \, }\left(|\nabla u|^{p-2}\nabla u\right) -\mathrm{div \, }\left(|\nabla u|^{q-2}\nabla u\right) =\lambda (u^{-\eta}+u^{\theta-1})-f(x,u) \mbox{ in } \Omega,\\ u=0 \mbox{ on } \partial \Omega, \, u>0 ,\, \lambda>0, \, \eta \in (0,1), \, 1<q<p<\theta. \end{cases}\tag{\(P_\lambda\)}\] In this problem, \(f : \Omega \times \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}\) is a Carathéodory function that fulfills certain regularity and growth conditions, \(s \to \lambda s^{-\eta}\) is a singular term, and \(s \to \lambda s^{\theta-1}-f(x,s)\) is a logistic perturbation. The singular term generates an energy functional of \((P_\lambda)\) which is not \(C^1\) and this is a source of difficulties in using the results of critical point theory. Considering an auxiliary singular problem, and applying truncation and comparison methods, the authors show that there exists a parameter value \(\lambda_\ast>0\) such that for every \(\lambda \geq \lambda_\ast\), \((P_\lambda)\) has at least one positive smooth solution. Additionally, the authors establish that for every \(\lambda \in (0,\lambda_\ast)\), \((P_\lambda)\) has no positive solutions.