A multiplicity result for quasilinear problems with nonlinear boundary conditions in bounded domains (Q763024)

Summary: We study the following quasilinear problem with nonlinear boundary condition \[ \begin{cases} -\Delta_p u - \lambda a(x)u|u|^{p-2} = b(x)u|u|^{\gamma -2}\qquad &\text{in }\Omega,\\ (1 - \alpha)|\nabla u|^{p-2} (\partial u/\partial n) + \alpha u|u|^{p-2} = 0 \qquad &\text{on }\partial \Omega,\end{cases} \] where \(\Omega \subseteq R^N\) is a connected bounded domain with smooth boundary \(\partial \Omega\). The outward unit normal is denoted by \(n\). \(\Delta_p\) is the \(p\)-Laplacian operator defined by \(\Delta_p u = \text{div}(|\nabla u|^{p-2} \nabla u)\), the functions \(a\) and \(b\) are sign-changing continuous functions in \(\Omega\), \(1 < p < \gamma < p^\ast\), where \(p^\ast = Np/(N - p)\) if \(N > p\) and \(\infty\) otherwise. The properties of the first eigenvalue \(\lambda^+_1 (\alpha)\) and the associated eigenvector of the related eigenvalue problem have been studied by the author [``Eigenvalue problems for the \(p\)-Laplace operator with nonlinear boundary condition'', Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences (to appear)]. In this paper, it is shown that if \(\lambda \leq \lambda^+_1 (\alpha)\), the original problem admits at least one positive solution, while if \(\lambda^+_1 (\alpha) < \lambda < \lambda^\ast\), for a positive constant \(\lambda^\ast\), it admits at least two distinct positive solutions. Our approach is variational in character and our results extend those of \textit{G. A. Afrouzi} and the author [Bull. Iran. Math. Soc. 33, No. 2, 49--59 (2007; Zbl 1136.35352)] in two aspects: the main part of our differential equation is the \(p\)-Laplacian, and the boundary condition in this paper is also nonlinear.