Saddle-type solutions for a class of semilinear elliptic equations (Q944171)

The class of semilinear elliptic equations \[ -\Delta u(x,y)+W'(u(x,y))=0,\quad (x,y)\in{\mathbb R}^{2} \] is considered in the case in which \(W:{\mathbb R}\to{\mathbb R}\) is a bistable symmetric potential. Variational methods are used to reveal the existence of infinitely many saddle-type entire solutions. Precisely it is shown that for any \(j\geq 2\), the equation has a solution \(v_{j}\) on \({\mathbb R}^{2}\) satisfying the following symmetric and asymptotic conditions: setting \(\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\theta)=v_{j}(\rho\cos( \theta),\rho\sin(\theta))\), there results i) \(\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\frac{\pi}{2}+\theta)=-\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\frac{\pi}{2}-\theta)\) and ii) \(\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\theta+\frac{\pi}{j})=-\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\theta)\), \(\forall (\rho,\theta)\in {\mathbb R}^{+}\times{\mathbb R}\) and \(\tilde v_{j}(\rho,\theta)\to 1\) as \(\rho\to+\infty\) for any \(\theta\in [\frac{\pi}2-\frac{\pi}{2j},\frac{\pi}2)\).