Positive solutions of second-order singular boundary value problem with a Laplace-like operator (Q2498205)

This paper is devoted to the study of the Sturm-Liouville boundary value problem \[ (\Phi(u'))'+\lambda a(t)f(t,u)=0,\qquad 0<t<1,\quad u(0)=u(1)=0, \] where \(\lambda\) is a positive real parameter, \(a\) is continuous and positive on \((0,1)\), \(\Phi:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb R\) is odd, continuous and the following assumptions are assumed throughout \[ a\in C([0,1),\mathbb{R}^+)\text{ and for a }\delta\in(0,1),\,0<\int_0^{1-\delta}a(t)\,dt<\infty; \tag{H1} \] \[ 0<{\ell}_1\leq\frac{\Phi(x)-\Phi(y)}{x-y}\leq {\ell}_2<\infty,\;x\not=y. \tag{H2} \] The boundary value problem is transformed into a fixed-point problem for a compact mapping. Under conditions on the nonlinear function \(f\) and restrictions on the eigenvalue \(\lambda,\) solutions are proved to lie in the positive cone of concave functions defined on \([0,1].\) Applications to the sublinear and superlinear growth assumptions on \(f\) are then derived. The authors notice their results may be extended to the case where the function \(f\) may change sign and be singular along a curve in \([0,1]\times \mathbb{R}^+.\) Two examples illustrate the main results of the paper.