Linear and nonlinear, second-order problems with Sturm-Liouville-type, multi-point boundary conditions (Q266687)

A well-organised paper which guides the reader step by step from definitions to main results. Since it is difficult to apply the Prüfer angle construction to the non-linear problems, the author first use non-optimal, oscillation counting methods to obtain the spectral properties of a linear boundary value problem consisting of the equation \(-u''=\lambda u\) which is defined on the interval \((-1,1)\). By means of these properties the author obtains Rabinowitz-type global bifurcation results for a non-linear boundary value problem consisting of the equation \(-u''=f(u)\) in the same interval, and then use these to obtain nodal solutions of the problem. The results obtained in this paper contain the case when the boundary conditions are multipoint.