Positive solutions for higher-order nonlinear fractional differential equations (Q2405484)

In this paper, the authors study the existence of positive solutions for the Riemann-Liouville fractional boundary value problem of the form \[ D^{q}u(t)+g(t)f\left(u(t),u^{'}(t),u^{''}(t),\dots,u^{(m)}(t),D^{\alpha}u(t)\right)=0,\quad n-1<q\leq n, \tag{1} \] \[ \begin{cases} u(0)=0,\quad u^{(i)}(0)=0,\quad i=1,\dots,n-2,\\ D^{\beta}u(1)=0,\quad 2\leq\beta\leq n-2,\quad1\leq m\leq\alpha\leq\beta-1, \end{cases}\tag{2} \] where \(n\in\mathbb{N}\) \(n\geq3\), \(f\) and \(g\) are appropriate functions. The main tool to reach the positive solutions of the fractional boundary value problem (1)--(2) is fixed point theory on positive cones. In fact, transforming the boundary value problem (1)--(2) into its corresponding fractional integral equation qualifies the authors to use fixed point techniques. In this case, the obtained integral equation possesses the Green function of the boundary value problem (1)--(2) as its kernel. At the end, the authors prove existence of at least one positive fixed point for the obtained integral equation in a certain positive cone, that is equivalently a positive solution of the fractional boundary value problem (1)--(2). The preferred fixed point technique in this paper is known as Guo-Krasnoselskii fixed point theorem.