Comparison principles for \(p\)-Laplace equations with lower order terms (Q2362868)

This paper deals with comparison principles for quasilinear elliptic equations involving the \(p\)-Laplacian operator of the type \[ -\Delta_p u+\mathcal{H}(x,u,Du)=0\;\text{ in }\Omega,\tag{1} \] where \(\Omega\) is a bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^N\) (\(N\geq2\)), \(p\in (2,\infty)\), and \(\mathcal{H}:\Omega \times \mathbb{R}\times \mathbb{R}^N\rightarrow \mathbb{R}\) ia a function measurable in the first variable and of class \(C^1\) in the last two variables. The authors find several sufficient conditions in order that any bounded (weak) subsolution \(u\) and any bounded (weak) supersolution \(v\) to equation (1) satisfying \(u\leq v\) on the boundary of \(\Omega\), satisfy the same inequality on the whole \(\Omega\). A strong comparison principle is also proved for the special case \(\mathcal{H}(x,u,Du)=H(x,Du)-f(x)\), where \(f\) is positive in \(\Omega\) and \(f\in W_{loc}^{1,\infty}(\Omega)\). Precisely, the authors prove that, if \(\Omega\) is connected, \(u,v\in W_{loc}^{1,\infty}(\Omega)\), and either \(u\) or \(v\) is a (weak) solution to the equation \(-\Delta_p u+H(x,Du)-f(x)\) in \(\Omega\), then the conditions \[ -\Delta_p u+H(x,Du)\leq -\Delta_p v+H(x,Dv), \;u\leq v, \;\text{ in }\Omega, \] imply \(u=v\) in \(\Omega\), unless \(u<v\) in \(\Omega\).