New periodic solutions for a class of singular Hamiltonian systems (Q5919898)

This paper deals with an Hamiltonian system of the form \[ \ddot{q}+V'(q)=0, \] where \(V\in C^1({\mathbb R}^n \setminus \{0\}, \mathbb R)\) is an even singular potential. It is assumed that there exists a constant \(\alpha \in(0,2)\) such that \[ \langle V'(q),q \rangle \geq -\alpha V(q) >0 \text{ for all } q \in {\mathbb R}^n \setminus \{0\} \] and that there exist \(\delta \in (0,2)\) and \(r>0\) such that \[ \langle V'(q),q \rangle \leq -\delta V(q) >0 \text{ for all } 0<|q| \leq r. \] Finally, it is required that \(V(q) \to 0\) as \(|q| \to +\infty\). It is proved that, for any given \(h<0,\) the system has at least a non-constant weak periodic solution with given energy \(h\), i.e., satisfying \((1/2)|\dot{q}|^2 + V(q) = h\). The proof is performed as an application of the mountain pass theorem.