On a singular boundary value problem for the differential equation \(f(t,x,x^{\prime },x^{\prime\prime })=0 \) using barrier strips (Q2498793)

The authors address boundary value problems \(f(t, x, x', x'')=0, \;x(0)=a, \;x'(1)=b,\) where \(f\) is defined on a domain of the form \((0,1] \times D_x \times D_p \times D_q\) and becomes unbounded when \(t \to 0\) for at least one point \((x_0, p_0, q_0) \in D_x \times D_p \times D_q\). They introduce a two-parameter family of regular BVPs, denoted as \((\phi)_{\lambda}\), in which the ODE is dependent on \(\lambda \in [0,1]\) and the boundary conditions read \(x(1/n)=a\), \(x'(1)=b\) for \(n \in \{2, 3, 4, \ldots\}\). Certain barrier strips yield bounds for \(x, x', x''\) independent of \(\lambda\) and \(n\), \(x \in C^2[1/n,1]\) solving \((\phi)_{\lambda}\). Via the topological transversality and Arzela-Ascoli theorems they obtain a solution to the original problem as the limit of a sequence of solutions to \((\phi)_1\) with \(n \in \{2, 3, 4, \ldots\}\)