Existence of solutions for a semilinear two-point boundary value problem (Q5945663)

The existence of a solution to the following boundary value problem is discussed \[ -u''= g(u)+ h(x)\quad\text{in }(a,b),\quad u(a)= 0= u(b),\tag{\(*\)} \] where \(g: \mathbb R\to\mathbb R\) is continuous and \(h\in L^1(a,b)\). Solutions to \((*)\) in the Carathéodory sense are obtained. Writing \(g(u)= \mu_1u+ f(u)\) in \((*)\), we get \[ -u''= \mu_1 u+ f(u)+ h(x)\quad\text{in }(a,b),\quad u(a)= 0= u(b),\tag{\(**\)} \] where \(f: \mathbb R\to \mathbb R\) is continuous and \(\mu_1\) is the first eigenvalue of a suitable Dirichlet problem. The following result is established: Let \(\text{sgn}(s) f(s)\geq 0\) and \(\liminf_{s\to\pm\infty} (2G(s)/s^2)\leq \alpha_{\pm}\) for some \((\alpha_+,\alpha_-)\in C_1= \{(\alpha_+, \alpha_-)\in \mathbb R^2: \pi/\sqrt{\alpha_+}+ \pi/\sqrt{\alpha_-}= b-a\}\) with \(G(s)= \int^s_0 g(x)\, dx\). Then \((**)\) is solvable if \(\int^b_a h(x) \varphi_1(x) \,dx= 0\), where \(\varphi_1\) is the eigenfunction associated with \(\mu_1\). The proof is based on the application of the Leray-Schauder continuation theorem.