Existence, uniqueness and blow-up rate of large solutions for a canonical class of one-dimensional problems on the half-line (Q927652)

For the ordinary differential equation \[ u^{\prime\prime}(t) = f(t) h(u(t)), \qquad t > 0, \tag{1a} \] the authors establish existence, uniqueness, and blow-up rate of positive solutions with \[ \lim_{t \downarrow 0} u(t) = \infty, \quad\text{ and }\quad \lim_{t \uparrow \infty} u(t) = 0. \tag{1b} \] The main result states that if \(f\) is a continuous and nondecreasing function, and \(h\) is a strictly increasing continuously differentiable function with \(h(0) = h^\prime(0) = 0\), and \(\int_z^\infty \left( \int_z^x h(s) \, ds \right)^{-1/2} \, dx\) finite, then there exists a unique positive solution of (1). Assuming that \(f\) and \(h\) satisfies additional technical conditions, the exact asymptotic rate of \(u(t)\) near the origin is presented. The authors start by solving the approximate problem given by (1a) with boundary conditions \(u(0) = M\), \(u(L) = 0\). By means of sub- and supersolution techniques, it is possible to consider the pointwise limits of \(u(t)\) as first \(L\) and then \(M\) tends to infinity. The proof of the asymptotic behaviour involves a further detailed study of the function \(f\).