Symmetric and asymmetric nodal solutions for the Moore-Nehari differential equation (Q2134222)

In this nice paper, the Moore-Nehari equation with the Dirichlet boundary condition \[ \left\{ \begin{array}{l} u'' + h(x,\lambda)|u|^{p-1}u=0, \quad x \in (-1,1), \\ u(-1)=u(1)=0 \end{array} \right. \] is considered, where \(p>1\), \(h(x,\lambda) \equiv 0\) for \(|x|<\lambda\), \(h(x,\lambda)\equiv 1\) for \(\lambda\le|x|\le 1\), and \(\lambda\in(0,1)\) is a parameter. It is shown that the problem has a unique \(n\)-nodal symmetric solution satisfying \(u'(-1)>0\) for each \(\lambda>0\) and nonnegative integer \(n\), and that if \(\lambda\) is close to \(0\), then every \(n\)-nodal solution must be symmetric. Here, a solution is said to be an \(n\)-nodal solution if it has exactly \(n\) zeros in \((-1,1)\). Moreover, the existence of solutions possessing exactly \(m\) zeros in \((-1,0)\) and exactly \(n\) zeros in \((0,1)\) for each nonnegative integers \(m\) and \(n\) is established, provided \(\lambda\) is close to \(1\). Therefore, many asymmetric solutions are found when \(\lambda\) is close to \(1\). In this paper, the detailed structure of asymmetric solutions is also given.