Stieltjes differential in nonlinear momentum problems (Q2254120)

A way to a pointwise discussion of equations of the form \[ -(p u')' + q u = f \text{ on } [0,l] \] with singular potentials \(q\) is to move the singularities into a Lebesgue-Stieltjes measure \(\sigma\) (or into a strictly increasing function \(\sigma\) inducing this measure). Then, consider the equation \[ -(p u_x')_\sigma' + u Q_\sigma' = f(x, u), \] where the singularities are reflected by points of discontinuity of the function \(\sigma\). Here, the derivative with respect to \(\sigma\) has to be understood in the Radon-Nikodym sense. This approach seems to go back to \textit{Yu. V. Pokornyi} and \textit{Zh. I. Bakhtina} [Dokl. Math. 83, No. 1, 104--106 (2011); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk 436, No. 5, 597--599 (2011; Zbl 1238.34157)] and to earlier ideas of Feller and also of Krein for the treatement of strings. In the present paper, Dirichlet boundary conditions \(u(0) = u(l) = 0\) are imposed and it is assumed that \(p\) is positive and bounded away from \(0\), \(Q\) is nondecreasing and \(f(x,u)\) satisfies the Carathéodory condition. In two earlier papers ([\textit{Yu. V. Pokornyj} et al., Ukr. Mat. Zh. 60, No. 1, 95--99 (2008); translation in Ukr. Math. J. 60, No. 1, 108--113 (2008; Zbl 1164.34370)] ; Осцилляционный метод штурма в спектральных задачах (Russian). Moskva: Fizmatlit (2009; Zbl 1206.34004)]) the linear case \(f(x,u) = f(x)\) was studied. Now, the generally nonlinear problem is treated and a number of sufficient conditions for the existence of (nonnegative) solutions are presented.