Existence of solutions for nonlinear boundary value problems and injectivity of related linear differential operators (Q2365645)

The paper deals with the existence of solutions for the nonlinear boundary value problem \(x'=F(t,x)\), \(\Gamma(x)=r\), where \(F:I\times\mathbb{R}^ n\to\mathbb{R}^ n\) satisfies Carathéodory conditions on the compact interval \(I\) and \(\Gamma\) is a linear continuous map from \(C(I;\mathbb{R}^ n)\) into \(\mathbb{R}^ n\). The authors give conditions under which the equation can be written in the form \(x'=G(t,x)x+R(t,x)\) with suitable \(G\) and \(R\) in order to apply a general existence result essentially due to \textit{Z. Opial} [J. Differ. Equations 3, 580-594 (1967; Zbl 0161.061)]. This general result permits to reduce the existence of solutions for the nonlinear boundary value problem to the nonexistence of nontrivial solutions for some associated linear homogeneous boundary value problems. As applications the periodic boundary value problem for a system of two differential equations and a boundary value problem for a 4-th order scalar differential equation are discussed.