The scalar curvature equation on \(\mathbb R^N\) (Q5946009)

The authors study the problem \[ \begin{aligned} & \Delta u + Q(x)u^{2^*-1} = 0 \quad\text{in}\quad {\Bbb R}^N, \cr & u>0 \quad\text{in}\quad {\Bbb R}^N, \cr & u(y) \rightarrow 0 \quad\text{as}\quad \vert y\vert \rightarrow\infty, \end{aligned} \leqno(*) \] for \(N\geq 3\), where \(2^*=2N/(N-2)\) is the critical Sobolev exponent and \(Q\in C^{2,\alpha}_{loc}({\mathbb R}^N)\), \(\alpha\in(0,1)\), is a positive function bounded between two positive constants. This and related problems have received a great deal of attention. Except for recent work of \textit{G. Bianchi} [Adv. Differ. Equ. 1, No. 5, 857--880 (1996; Zbl 0865.35044)] and of the second author [J. Differ. Equ. 163, No. 2, 239--264 (2000; Zbl 0954.35058)], it appears that all existence results for \((*)\) have required some symmetry assumptions on \(Q\). Here the authors prove the existence of solutions of \((*)\) under a variety of local assumptions on \(Q\), in situations where standard variational methods do not apply. Their approach is to construct solutions of the subcritical problem in which \(2^*\) is replaced by \(2^*-\epsilon\) and show that these converge strongly in \(H^1({\mathbb R}^N)\) to a nonzero solution of \((*)\) as \(\epsilon\rightarrow 0\), provided appropriate conditions are imposed on \(Q\).