A theorem on upper-lower solutions for nonlinear elliptic systems and its applications (Q2467757)

In this article the authors extend the classical result of an upper-lower solution technique to nonlinear non-homogeneous elliptic systems without the assumption of quasi-monotonicity under nonlinear boundary conditions. The method employed is Schauder's fixed point theorem. It introduces also one of the models emerges in biology and medical science. The result for the positive coexistence of a given model is obtained using the extended upper-lower solution technique developed and described in this paper. Firstly the main theorem for nonlinear elliptic PDEs without quasi-monotonicity is proved. In particular, the result for classical upper-lower solutions is extended to nonlinear non-homogeneous elliptic systems without the assumption of quasi-monotonicity under nonlinear boundary conditions. Let \(\Omega\) be a smooth and bounded domain in \(\mathbb R^n\) and \(x = (x_1, x_2,\dots, x_n) \in \Omega\). A function \(f(\xi_1,\dots,\xi_m,x)\) is said to be uniformly Lipschitzian independent of \(x\) for bounded \((\xi_1,\dots,\xi_m)\in\mathbb R^m\) if \(f\) is uniformly Lipschitzian in any bounded subset of \((\xi_1,\dots,\xi_m)\in\mathbb R^m\) and the Lipschitz constant \(P\) is independent of \( x \in \overline{\Omega }\). Let us consider the elliptic system \[ \begin{aligned} -d_i\Delta u_i = f_i(u_1,\dots,u_m,x) &\quad \text{in }\Omega,\quad i = 1,\dots,m,\\ \alpha_i u_i + \beta_i \frac{\partial u_i}{\partial n} = \psi_i(u_1,\dots,u_i-1,u_i+1,\dots,u_m, x)&\quad \text{on }\partial \Omega .\end{aligned}\tag{1} \] Theorem. Let \(f_i\) in system (1) be uniformly Lipschitzian independent of \(x\), \(\psi_i \in C^2(\mathbb R^m-1)\) as above. If \(\underline{u}_i\leq\overline{u}_i\), \((i = 1,\dots,m)\), are coupled upper-lower solutions of the elliptic system (1), then there exists a solution \(u=(u_1,\dots,u_m)\) to the system (1) such that \(\underline{u}_i\leq\overline{u_i}\). Further, the results of investigation of the sufficient conditions for the existence of positive solutions of time-independent systems are described. An application is the interaction between HIV and human immune system, which formed by set of immunology chains. Based on immunology facts and results given in the present paper, six by six elliptic system is proposed as a model of human immune cells fighting with the HIV, without the antivirus medications. The diffusion rates \(d_i > 0\) are constants and the reaction functions \(f_i\) \((i=1,2,\dots,6)\), which represent the immune interactions are \[ \begin{aligned} f_1(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= a_1 u_5 - a_2 u_1 - a_3 \min(u_1,u_4) + a_4\frac{u_1 u_3}{1 + u_1 u_3}, \\ f_2(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= a_5 u_2 - a_6 u_2 + a_7\phi_1(u_1) \frac{u_2 u_3}{1 + u_2 u_3},\\ f_3(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= a_8 u_5 - a_9 \min(u_3,u_4) + a_7\phi_1(u_1)u_3 + a_{11} u_3, \\ f_4(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= \phi_4(u_1 u_3 u_4) + a_{12} u_6 - a_{13}\phi_2(u_1) u_2 u_4 + a_{14} u_4 ,\\ f_5(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= a_{15} u_{15}(c - u_5) - a_{16}\phi_3(u_1,u_4)u_5 + a_{17}\frac{u_1 u_5}{1 + u_1 u_5},\\ f_6(u_1,u_2,u_3,u_4,u_5,u_6)&= -a_{18} u_6 + a_{16}\phi_3(u_1,u_4)u_5 + a_{19} u_2 u_6, \end{aligned} \] where the immune activation threshold functions \[ \begin{aligned} \phi_1(u_1) &= \begin{cases} \frac{u_1}{a}, &\text{for }0\leq u_1 < a,\\ 1, &\text{for }u_1 \geq a,\end{cases}\\ \phi_2(u_1) &= \begin{cases} \frac{u_1}{b},&\text{for }0\leq u_1 < b,\\ 1, &\text{for }u_1 \geq b,\end{cases}\\ \phi_3(u_1, u_4)&= \begin{cases}\frac{e-u_1}{e}:\frac{u_4}{1+u_4}, &\text{for }0\leq u_1 \leq e,\\ 0, &\text{for }u_1 > e,\end{cases}\\ \phi_4(u_1, u_3, u_4)&= \begin{cases} a_{20}:u_4:\min(u_4, u_1+u_3)= a_{20}:u_4^2, &\text{for }0\leq u_4 <(u_1+u_3),\\ a_{20}:u_4:(u_1+u_2), &\text{for }u_4\geq (u_1+u_3).\end{cases} \end{aligned} \] In above expressions the rates \(a_4, a_7, a_{10}, a_{12}\geq 0\), while the remainder rates \(a_i\) and parameters \(a, b, c, e\) are all positive. The elliptic system under consideration is neither smooth nor quasimonotone. Applying the theorem, authors show that break-up of the fabric of a steady-state, which is physiologically caused by a result of over-stimulating immune responses, can introduce a detrimental effect. This mathematical implication matches the clinical result.