Bifurcation from interval and positive solutions for second order periodic boundary value problems (Q983998)

Consider the periodic boundary value problem associated to the second order equation \[ u''-q(t)u+\lambda f(t,u) =0, \] where \(\lambda \geq 0,\) \(q\) is continuous, \(2\pi\)-periodic and non-negative and \(f\) is of class \({\mathcal C}^1\) and non-negative. The main hypothesis reads as follows: for suitable non-negative functions \(\xi_i, \eta_i\), \(i=1,2\) s.t. \(\xi_i(t,u)=o(|u|)\) for \(|u| \to 0\) and \(\eta_i(t,u)=o(|u|)\) for \(|u| \to \infty\), we have \(a_0(t,u)-\xi_1(t,u) \leq f(t,u) \leq a^0(t,u)-\xi_2(t,u)\) and \(b_{\infty}(t,u)-\eta_1(t,u) \leq f(t,u) \leq b^{\infty}(t,u)-\eta_2(t,u)\) (uniformly in \(t\)), where \(a_0,a^0, b_{\infty}, b^{\infty}\) are continuous and non-negative. In order to describe the main result, it is necessary to use the fact that for a non-negative and \(2\pi\)-periodic function \(A\) the associated linear eigenvalue problem \[ u''-q(t)u=\lambda A(t)u,\quad u(0)=u(2\pi),\quad u'(0)=u'(2\pi) \] has a simple positive eigenvalue \(\lambda_1(A) >0\) with a non-negative eigenfunction \(\phi_1.\) In this framework, it is proved that \([\lambda_1(b^{\infty}),\lambda_1(b_{\infty})]\) is a ``bifurcation from infinity'' interval of positive solutions and that \([\lambda_1(a^0),\lambda_1(a_0)]\) is a ``bifurcation from the trivial solution'' interval of positive solutions. Under additional assumptions, the existence of two positive solutions for all \(\lambda > \max\{\lambda_1(a_0), \lambda_1(b_{\infty})\}\) is proved. The proof is performed by applying the abstract bifurcation results due to \textit{P. H. Rabinowitz} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 3, 161--202 (1973; Zbl 0255.47069)] and \textit{K. Schmitt} [NATO ASI Ser., Ser. C, Math. Phys. Sci. 472, 447--500 (1995; Zbl 0846.35049)].