Existence of solutions of boundary value problem for 3rd order nonlinear system (Q2383619)

The paper considers the boundary value problem \[ y'''=f(t,y,y',y''), \] \[ P_1(y(a),y'(a),y''(a))=0,\,\, P_2(y(a),y'(a),y''(a))=0,\,\, P_3(y(b),y'(b),y''(b))=0,\,\, \] where the unknown \(y\) is a \(m\)-vector and the functions \(f(t,u,v,w)\) and \(P_i(u,v,w)\), \((i=1,2,3)\), are continuous. The authors consider lower and upper solutions \(\alpha(t)\) and \(\beta(t)\) which are such that \(\alpha(t)\leq\beta(t)\), \(\alpha'(t)\leq\beta'(t)\) and such that each component of both these functions satisfies an appropriate differential inequality uniformly in off-diagonals components. They assume further some Nagumo condition with respect to \(y''\) and some monotonicity of the boundary functions \(P_i(u,v,w)\), \((i=1,2,3)\). Under such type of assumptions they prove the existence of a solution \(y\) such that \(\alpha(t)\leq y(t)\leq\beta(t)\), \(\alpha'(t)\leq y'(t)\leq\beta'(t)\) and \(\| y''(t)\| \leq N\), for some \(N>0\). The method of proof uses a modified problem together with a degree argument. The modified problem is homotoped to \(y'''=0\), \(y(a)=0\), \(y'(a)=0\), \(y'(b)=0\). At last, the authors present an example where the various assumptions are satisfied.