Multiplicity theorems for nonlinear nonhomogeneous Robin problems (Q520722)

The interesting paper deals with multiple nontrivial solutions to the conormal-Robin problem \[ \begin{cases} -\text{div\,}a(Du(z))=f(z,u(z)) & \text{ in }\;\Omega,\\ \dfrac{\partial u}{\partial n_a}+\beta(z)|u(z)|^{p-2}u(z)=0 & \text{ on }\;\partial\Omega, \end{cases} \] where \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^N\) is a bounded domain with \(C^2\)-smooth boundary and \(\frac{\partial u}{\partial n_a}\) is the conormal derivative on \(\partial\Omega\) given by \(\big(a(Du),n\big)_{\mathbb{R}^N}\) with the unit outward normal \(n\) to \(\partial\Omega.\) The map \(a: \mathbb{R}^n\to \mathbb{R}^N\) is strictly monotone, continuous and elliptic, and it satisfies suitable regularity and growth hypotheses allowing to incorporate also the \(p\)-Laplacian in the framework of differential operators considered, while the reaction term \(f(z,u)\) is given by a Carathéodory function. The authors derive four multiplicity theorems for the problem considered, which produce three nontrivial solutions for resonant problems and for problems in which no global growth restriction is assumed on the reaction term \(f(z,u)\). Moreover, in the semilinear case \(\text{div\,}a(Du(z))=\Delta u\), it is shown that four nontrivial solutions can appear, by producing a second nodal solution. The approach employed combines variational methods with the Morse theory, truncation methods, and comparison techniques.