Positive solutions of a system of coupled second order equations with three point boundary conditions (Q691271)

The paper concerns the existence of positive solutions of the system \[ \begin{aligned} -u''&=\lambda_1 a_1(t)f_1(u,v),\quad t\in(0,1),\\ -v''&=\lambda_2 a_2(t)f_2(u,v),\quad t\in(0,1), \end{aligned} \] subject to the three-point boundary conditions \[ \begin{aligned} u(0)=\beta_1u(\eta),\quad u(1)&=\alpha_1u(\eta),\\ v(0)=\beta_2v(\eta),\quad v(1)&=\alpha_2v(\eta), \end{aligned} \] for some positive constants \(\alpha_i, \beta_i, \lambda_i\), \(0<\eta<1\), and \(\eta\alpha_i<1\) for \(i=1,2\). The coefficients \(a_i\) and the nonlinearities \(f_i\) are continuous and positive. Under some restrictions on the parameters \(\lambda_i\), criteria for the existence of positive solution are given according to the behavior of the ratios \(f_i(u,v)/u+v\) at \(0\) or positive infinity (including sub-linear and super-linear growth conditions). The proof uses the integral formulation of the problem and relies on the Guo-Lakshmikantham fixed point theorem. The paper ends with an example in the sub-linear case.