On the inequality \(F(x,D^2u)\geq f(u) +g(u)| Du|^q\) (Q289851)

The present paper is concerned with qualitative properties of viscosity solutions for the fully nonlinear degenerate elliptic inequality \[ F(x,D^2 u)\geq f(u)+g(u)|D u|^q\text{ in }\mathbb R^n\eqno{(*)} \] where \(f\), \(g\) are continuous and increasing, \(f>0\), \(q\in (0, 2]\) and \(F\) is a second order degenerate elliptic operator. The existence and nonexistence of such solutions is discussed in relation to the behavior of \(g\) at infinity. For instance, if \(\lim_{t\to \infty}g(t)>0\), then entire solutions in the viscosity sense exist if and only if \(q\leq 1\) and \[ \int_0^\infty \frac{dt}{(\int_0^t f(s)ds)^{1/2}+\big(\int_0^t g^+(s)ds\big)^{1/(2-q)}}=\infty. \] This generalizes the standard Keller-Osserman condition for \(\Delta u\geq f(u)\). In turn, if \(\lim_{t\to \infty}g(t)\leq 0\), the authors obtain that the existence of viscous solutions is equivalent to \[ \int_0^\infty \frac{dt}{\Big(\int_0^t e^{-2\int_s^t\big(-\frac{g(\tau)}{f\tau)}\big)^{2/q}f(\tau)d\tau}f(s) \Big)^{1/2}}=\infty. \] A similar study is presented when the inequality (*) holds in an open bounded set \(\Omega\), case in which universal pointwise upper bounds are obtained in terms of the distance function up to the boundary.