Positive solutions of three-point fractional sum boundary value problem for Caputo fractional difference equations via an argument with a shift (Q346416)

The authors consider the three-point discrete fractional boundary value problem \(\Delta_C^\alpha u(t)+a(t+\alpha-1)f(u(\theta(t+\alpha-1)))=0\), \(t\in\mathbb{N}_{0,T}\), \(u(\alpha-3)=\Delta^2 u(\alpha-3)=0\), \(u(T+\alpha)=\lambda\Delta^{-\beta}u(\eta+\beta)\), where \(2<\alpha\leq 3\), \(0<\beta\leq 1\), \(\Delta_C^\alpha\) is the Caputo fractional difference operator of order \(\alpha\), \(f\) is a continuous function, and \(\theta\) is an ``advanced'' argument. Conditions are established which guarantee the existence of at least one positive solution to this problem. The Guo-Krasnoselskii fixed point theorem is the main tool of the proof.