Multiple positive solutions for elliptic boundary value problems (Q2477812)

The authors consider the Dirichlet problem \[ \Delta u + f(u)=0 \quad \text{in } \Omega, \qquad u(0)=0 \quad\text{on } \partial\Omega, \] where \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^N\) is a bounded set with smooth boundary and \(f(u)\geq 0\) is a continuous function. The main result proves existence of at least \(2n+1\) nonnegative solutions assuming that \(f\) satisfies upper and lower bounds on appropriate intervals. The proof is essentially a repeated application of the three solutions Theorem by \textit{H. Amann} [SIAM Rev. 18, 620--709 (1976; Zbl 0345.47044)] which considers two pairs of upper and lower solutions. Here the main difficulty concerns the construction of appropriate lower and upper solutions. Examples are given and a generalization to the one-dimensional \(p\)-Laplacian is worked out.