Continuum of solutions for an elliptic problem with critical growth in the gradient (Q491502)

The paper deals with the problem \[ \leqno{(P_\lambda)}\qquad\qquad u\in H^1_0(\Omega)\cap L^\infty(\Omega):\qquad -\Delta u=\lambda c(x)u+\mu(x)|\nabla u|^2+h(x), \] where \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N,\) \(N\geq 3,\) is a smooth bounded domain. Assuming \(c\geq 0,\) \(c\not\equiv0,\) \(c,h\in L^p(\Omega)\) for some \(p>N/2\) and \(\mu\in L^\infty(\Omega),\) the authors describe explicitly a condition which guarantees the existence of a unique solution of \((P_\lambda)\) when \(\lambda<0,\) and show that these solutions belong to a continuum. The behaviour of this continuum depends in an essential way on the existence of a solution to \((P_0).\) It crosses the axis \(\lambda=0\) if \((P_0)\) has a solution, otherwise it bifurcates from infinity at the left of the axis \(\lambda=0.\) Assuming that \((P_0)\) has a solution and strengthening the assumptions to \(\mu(x)\geq \mu_1>0\) and \(h\geq0,\) \(h\not\equiv0,\) the authors show that the continuum bifurcates from infinity on the right of the axis \(\lambda=0\) and this implies, in particular, existence of two solutions for any sufficiently small \(\lambda>0\).