\(L_p\) Minkowski problem with not necessarily positive data (Q2369427)

Various existence results are obtained for the \(L_{p}\) Minkowski problem for \(0 \geq p \geq -2\) in \(\mathbb R^{2}\), where the problem can be reduced to the ordinary differential equation \[ u''(\theta) + u(\theta) = g(\theta)u(\theta)^{p-1}, \quad 0 \leq \theta \leq 2 \pi.\tag{*} \] By using a general affine isoperimetric inequality of \textit{W.\ Chen, R.\ Howard, E.\ Lutwak, D.\ Yang} and \textit{G.\ Zhang} [J. Geom. Anal. 14, No.4, 597--612 (2004; Zbl 1069.52011)], it is shown that (i) for \(p=0\): for every bounded, measurable and \(\pi\)-periodic function \(g\), if \(\int_{0}^{\pi} g(\theta)\)d\(\theta > 0\) then the equation (*) has a positive solution; (ii) for \(-2 < p < 0\): for every continuous and \(\pi\)-periodic function \(g\), the equation has a positive solution if and only if \(g(\theta) > 0\) for some \(\theta \in [0, \pi]\); (iii) for \(p=-2\): if \(g\) is continuous, \(\pi /k\)-periodic for some \(k >1\) and \(\int_{0}^{\pi} g(\theta)\)d\(\theta > 0\) then the equation has a positive solution. The main novelty of these results is that, unlike in the numerous related results, the strict positivity of \(g\) is not assumed.