Uniqueness of positive solutions for a singular nonlinear eigenvalue problem when a parameter is large (Q2448507)

The following singular boundary value problem is considered \[ -u''(t)=\lambda h(t)\frac{f(u(t))}{u(t)^{\beta}},\;t\in(0,1), \] \[ u(0)=u(1)=0, \] where \(\lambda>0\) is a parameter, \(f\in C^1\Bigl([0,\infty),(0,\infty)\Bigr)\) with \(\inf_{[0,\infty)}f(s)>0,\) the constant \(\beta\in(0,1)\) is such that \(\lim_{s\to\infty}\frac{f(s)}{s^{\beta+1}}=0,\) and the function \(h\in C\Bigl((0,1),(0,\infty)\Bigr)\) is such that there exist constants \(C_i>0\) and \(\alpha_i\in(0,1),\) \(i=1,2,\) with the properties \(h(t)\leq C_1t^{-\alpha_1}\) for \(t\approx0\) and \(h(t)\leq C_2(1-t)^{-\alpha_2}\) for \(t\approx1\). Assuming in addition that \(\alpha_i+\beta<1,\) \(i=1,2,\) and there is a \(\sigma>0\) such that \(f(s)s^{-\beta}\) is decreasing for \(s>\sigma,\) the authors show that there exists a \(\lambda^*>0\) such that the considered problem has a unique positive solution in \(C^2(0,1)\cap C^1[0,1]\) for all \(\lambda>\lambda^*.\)