A fixed-point index and existence theorems for semilinear equations in cones (Q5953905)

This article deals with positive and non-negative solutions for operator equations of type \(Lx=Nx\) with Fredholm linear operator \(L\) of zero index in a Banach space \(X\) ordered by a cone \(K\). First, in the framework of \(A\)-proper maps, the author develops a variant of the fixed point index theory; the author's method is close to the one which Fitzpatrick and Petryshyn used. In particular, a formula for the fixed point index of a linear map is obtained. Second, the fixed point index theory is applied for determining the existence of fixed points of nonlinear maps of the form \(L-N\); these maps are defned on relatively open subsets of \(K\) which may have empty interior; the cases when \(N\) has linear and superlinear growth are considered. The author states that his construction is more general than similar ones by R. E. Gaines and J. Mawhin, J. Mawhin, W. V. Petryshyn, J. Santanilla, J. R. L. Webb. As an application, the secord-order periodic boundary value problem \[ -x''(t)=f \bigl(t,x(t), x'(t)\bigr),\quad x(0)=x(1),\;x'(0)=x'(0) \] is considered.