Large solutions of elliptic semilinear equations in the borderline case. an exhaustive and intrinsic point of view (Q2352192)

Let \(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^N (N>1)\) be a bounded domain and let \(f:\mathbb R_+\rightarrow \mathbb R_+\) be a continuous increasing function, with \(\lim_{t\rightarrow 0^+}f(t)=0\), and satisfying the so called Keller-Osserman condition \[ \int\limits^\infty \left(\int_0^tf(s)ds\right)^{-\frac{1}{2}} \;dt<\infty.\tag{1} \] In this paper, the uniqueness and asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the problem \[ -\Delta u+f(u)=0,\, u(x)\rightarrow \infty \text{ as }x\rightarrow \partial \Omega,\tag{P} \] are investigated. It is known that condition (1) is necessary and sufficient for the existence of solutions to problem (P). Let \(\psi:\mathbb R_+\rightarrow \mathbb R_+\) be the (strictly decreasing) function defined by \[ \psi(t)=\int\limits_t ^\infty\left(2\int_0^sf(\sigma)d\sigma\right)^{-\frac{1}{2}} ds, \] and let \(\phi=\psi^{-1}\). The authors establish uniqueness and asymptotic behavior results in the following two exhaustive situations: \[ \limsup_{t\rightarrow \infty}\frac{\psi(\eta t)}{\psi(t)}<1, \text{ for }\eta >1 \text{ (ordinary case)}, \] \[ \limsup_{t\rightarrow \infty}\frac{\psi(\eta_0 t)}{\psi(t)}=1, \text{ for some }\eta_0 >1\text{ (borderline case)}. \] In particular, the authors prove that every solution \(u\) of problem (P) satisfies \(\lim_{d(x,\partial \Omega)\rightarrow 0}\frac{u(x)}{\phi(d(x,\partial \Omega))}=0\) in the ordinary case with \(\partial \Omega\) smooth, and in the borderline case with \(f\) differentiable at infinity. With the same assumptions, the authors establish the uniqueness of the solution under the additional condition that the function \(f(t)/t\) is increasing for large \(t\). The last two results concern the study of the second order term in the asymptotic expansion near the boundary of the solutions to problem (P). Under some additional assumptions on the nonlinearity \(f\), and with \(\partial \Omega\) of class \(\mathcal{C}^4\), the authors are able to provide, both in the ordinary and borderline case, an explicit expression of this second order term. This expression, involving the mean curvature of \(\partial \Omega\), allows to study the possible influence of the geometry of \(\Omega\) in the explosive behavior of the solutions near \(\partial \Omega\).