Nonlinear nonhomogeneous periodic problems (Q282613)

The authors consider the problem \[ \begin{aligned} -(a(|u'(t)|)u'(t))'&=f(t,u(t)) \quad \text{for a.e.}\;t \in (0,b),\\ u(0)&=u(b), \; u'(0)=u'(b), \end{aligned} \] where \(f\) satisfies Carathéodory conditions and the function \(a\) can be nonhomogeneous, and incorporates the scalar \(p\)-Laplacian. Using variational methods, they show that this periodic problem has at least three nontrivial solutions and provide sign information for all of them (one is positive, other negative and the last one nodal). Moreover, in the particular case that the problem is driven by the scalar Laplacian and \(f\) satisfies stronger hypotheses, they show the existence of a second nodal solution using Morse theory.