Existence theory for multiple solutions to second-order singular Dirichlet boundary value problem modeling the antarctic circumpolar current (Q6103897)

This paper is devoted to the solvability of the following singular Dirichlet boundary value problem \[ \ddot u-\alpha(t)F(t,u(t))+\beta(t)=0,\quad 0<t<1, \] \[ u(0)=u(1)=0, \] which is a model of the ocean flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Here \[ \alpha(t)=\frac{(s_2-s_1)^2}{4\cosh^2(\frac{(s_2-s_1)t+s_1}{2})}, \] \[ \beta(t)=\frac{\omega (s_2-s_1)^2\sinh(\frac{(s_2-s_1)t+s_1}{2})}{2\cosh^3(\frac{(s_2-s_1)t+s_1}{2})}, \] \(s_2>s_1>0\) are constants associated with the model, \(\omega>0\) is the non-dimensional Coriolis parameter, and the oceanic vorticity function \(F:[0,1]\times(0,+\infty)\to(-\infty, 0]\) is continuous and singular at \(u=0,\) i.e., \(\lim_{u\to0_+}F(t,u)=-\infty.\) In one of the results it is assumed that for each constant \(L>0\) there is a functoin \(\phi_L\geq0,\;t\in[0,1],\) which is positive in a set of positive measure and \[ F(t,u)\leq -\phi_L(t)\text{ for }(t,u)\in(0,1)\times(0,L], \] and that there are a constant \(r>0\) and continuous nonnegative functions \(g(u)\) and \(h(u)\) on \((0,\infty)\) such that \(g(u)\) is non-increasing, \(h(u)/g(u)\) is nondecreasing and \[ -g(u)-h(u)\leq F(t,u)\leq 0\text{ for }(t,u)\in(0,1)\times(0,\infty), \] \[ \frac{(s_2-s_1)^2}{24\cosh^2(\frac{s_1}{2})}\Bigl\{1+\frac{h(r+\mu^*)}{g(r+\mu^*)}\Bigr\}<\int^r_0\frac{1}{g(u)}du, \] where \(\mu^*=\max \mu(t),\) \[ \mu(t)=\int^1_0 G(t,\tau).\frac{\omega(s_2-s_1)^2\sinh(\frac{(s_2-s_1)\tau+s_1}{2})}{2\cosh^3(\frac{(s_2-s_1)\tau+s_1}{2})}d\tau, \] and \(G(t,s)\) is the Green function for the boundary value problem \[ \ddot u=0,\quad u(0)=0,\quad u(1)=0. \] Under these assumptions, using the Leray-Schauder nonlinear alternative principle and a well-known fixed point theorem in cones, the autors prove that the considered boundary value problem has a nonnegative solution \(u\in C[0,1]\cap C^2(0,1)\) such that \(u(t)>0\) for \(t\in(0,1)\) and \(0<||u-\mu||<r.\) Results guaranteeing multiple positive solutions are given also.