Second-order, three-point, boundary value problems with jumping nonlinearities (Q943742)

We consider the nonlinear, three-point boundary value problem consisting of the equation \[ -u''=f(u)+h,\quad \text{a.e. on }(0,1),\tag{1} \] where \(h\in L^1(0,1)\), together with the boundary conditions \[ u(0)=0,\quad u(1)=\alpha u(\eta)\tag{2} \] where \(\eta,\alpha \in (0,1)\). The function \(f:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R\) is continuous, and we assume that the following limits exist and are finite: \(f_{\pm\infty}:=\lim_{s\to\pm\infty}\frac{f(s)}{s}\). We allow \(f_\infty\neq f_{-\infty}\) -- such a nonlinearity \(f\) is said to be jumping. Related to (1) is the equation \[ -u''=au^+-bu^-+\lambda u,\quad \text{on }(0,1),\tag{3} \] where \(a,b,\lambda\in\mathbb R\), and \(u^\pm(x)=\max\{\pm u(x),0\}\) for \(x\in [0,1]\). The problem (2) and (3) is `positively homogeneous' and jumping. Values of \(\lambda\) for which (2) and (3) has a nontrivial solution \(u\) will be called half-eigenvalues, while the corresponding solutions \(u\) will be called half-eigenfunctions. We show that a sequence of half-eigenvalues exists, the corresponding half-eigenfunctions having specified nodal properties, and we obtain certain spectral and degree theoretic properties of the set of half-eigenvalues. These properties lead to solvability and non-solvability results for the problem (1) and (2). The set of half-eigenvalues is closely related to the `Fučík spectrum' of the problem, and equivalent solvability and non-solvability results for (1) and (2) are obtained from either the half-eigenvalue or the Fučík spectrum approach.