Exact multiplicity of solutions and \(S\)-shaped bifurcation curve for a class of semilinear elliptic equations (Q879110)

The paper is devoted to the study of existence and multiplicity of positive radial solutions of the problem \[ \Delta u +\lambda[(u+k)^p-(u+k)^{p+1}]=0,\quad x\in B, \] \[ u(x)=0,\quad x\in \partial B, \] where \(B\subset \mathbb R^n\) is the unit ball, \(\lambda>0\), \(p>1\), and \(0\leq k<1\). When \(k=0\), an exact multiplicity result is proved for any value of \(n\). Moreover, if \(k\) is positive but close to \(0\), then it is proved that the bifurcation diagram of the previous problem is \(S\)-shaped if one of the following assumptions hold: i) \(n <3\), \(1<p<\infty\). ii) \(n\geq 3\) and \(1<p\leq \frac {n+2}{n-2}\). In other words, if one of the previous assumptions holds, there exist \(0 <\lambda_*<\lambda^*<\infty\) such that the problem has exactly three positive solutions for \(\lambda\in (\lambda_*, \lambda^*)\), exactly one positive solution for \(\lambda \not\in [\lambda_*, \lambda^*]\), and exactly two positive solutions for \(\lambda\in \{\lambda_*, \lambda^*\}\).