Constant-sign solutions for systems of singular integral equations of Hammerstein type (Q969993)

Various results about the existence of one or several nonzero solutions of a system of Hammerstein equations \[ u_i(t)=\int_0^Tg_i(t,s)f_i(s,u_1(s)+\rho_1(s),\ldots,u_n(s)+\rho_n(s))ds\quad t\in[0,T],\;i=1,\ldots,n \] (with given \(\rho_1,\ldots,\rho_n\) and positive \(g_i\)) are obtained such that the unknown functions \(u_i\) have a prescribed constant sign \(\theta_i\) and \(f_i\) is defined only for arguments of that sign and assumes only that sign. The results apply in particular to the situation when \(f_i\) is singular at \((0,0)\), and some of the results even allow \(\rho_i=0\). The methods used range from the Leray-Schauder alternative combined with a compactness argument over Krasnosel'skij's fixed point theorem on cones up to Schauder's fixed point theorem on bounded convex sets. The results are illustrated by some systems of (singular) second order ordinary differential equations with Neumann or periodic boundary conditions.