Fourth order singular \(p\)-Laplacian differential equations with integral boundary conditions (Q711536)

The existence of solutions is considered for boundary value problems of the form \[ [\varphi_p(x''(t))]''=f(t,x(t),-x''(t)),\;t\in(0,1), \] \[ x(0)=0,\;\;x''(0)=0,\;\;x(1)=\int_{\xi}^{\eta}x(\tau)d\alpha(\tau),\;\;\varphi_p(x''(1))=\int_{\xi}^{\eta}\varphi_p(x''(\tau))d\beta(\tau), \] where \(\varphi_p(t)=|t|^{p-2}t,\;p>1,\) \(\xi\in(0,1)\) and \(\eta\in(\xi,1)\) are constants, \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) are nondecreasing on \([\xi,\eta]\), continuous on \([\xi,\eta)\), left continuous at \(t=\eta\) and such that \(\alpha(\xi)=\beta(\xi)=0\), \(0<\int_{\xi}^{\eta}d\alpha(\tau)<1\) and \(0<\int_{\xi}^{\eta}d\beta(\tau)<1\). The main nonlinearity \(f\in ((0,1)\times(0,\infty)\times(0,\infty),[0,\infty))\) may be singular at \(t=0\), \(t=1\), \(x=0\) and \(y=0\). It is assumed that there exist constants \(\lambda_i>0\), \(\mu_i\geq0\), \(i=1,2,\;\mu_1+\mu_2<p-1\), such that, for \(t\in(0,1)\), \(x,y\in(0,\infty)\) and \(c\in (0,1]\), \[ c^{\mu_1}f(t,x,y)\leq f(t,cx,y)\leq c^{-\lambda_1}f(t,x,y)\quad \text{and }c^{\mu_2}f(t,x,y)\leq f(t,x,cy)\leq c^{-\lambda_2}f(t,x,y). \] Firstly, the authors give a comparison theorem, then define a partial ordering in \(E_0=\{x: x\in C^2[a,b]\) and \(\varphi_p(x''(t))\in C^2(a,b)\}\) and construct upper and lower solutions to establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of \(C^2[0,1]\) as well as pseudo-\(C^3[0,1]\) positive solutions.