Nonlinear Neumann problems with indefinite potential and concave terms (Q746519)

In this paper, the authors study the following nonlinear parametric Neumann problems \[ \begin{cases} -\mathrm{div} a(Du(z))+\beta (z)|u(z)|^{p-2}u(z)=\lambda|u(z)|^{q-2}u(z)+f(z, u(z))&\text{in } \Omega,\\ \frac{\partial u}{\partial n}=0& \text{on }\partial\Omega,\end{cases}\tag{1} \] where \(\Omega \) is a bounded domain of \(\mathbb R^N\) with a \({\mathcal C}^2\)-boundary \(\partial \Omega, 1 < q < p < \infty, \lambda > 0\) and \(n\) stands for the outward unit normal on \(\partial \Omega.\) Here, \(a: \mathbb R\rightarrow \mathbb R\) is a continuous, strictly monotone map that satisfies certain regularity conditions, \(\beta \in L^\infty(\Omega)\) is an indefinite potential and the perturbation \(f\) is a Carathéodory function that it is either \((p - 1)\)-superlinear, without satisfying the Ambrosetti-Rabinowitz condition, or \((p - 1)\)-linear with resonance. The authors look for positive solutions and prove a bifurcation type result for problem (1), describing the set of positive solutions as \(\lambda\) varies and produce nodal solutions. The authors also examine semilinear equations resonant at higher parts of the spectrum and equations with a negative concavity. The approach is based on variational methods combined with suitable truncation and perturbation techniques and with Morse theory.