Skip to main content
Log in

On the existence of positive entire solutions of a semilinear elliptic equation

  • Published:
Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Under suitable hypotheses we obtain various theorems concerning the existence of positive solutions of the equation

$$\Delta u{\text{ }} - {\text{ }}u{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}Q{\text{(}}x{\text{) }}u^p {\text{ = 0}}$$

in ℝn, where p>1 and Q(x) is a given potential. If Q is radially symmetric, our result is particularly simple and general. We also study symmetries of solutions of the above equation in a ball with the boundary condition u = 0.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ambrosetti, A., & P. Rabinowitz, Dual variational methods in critical point theory and applications, J. Funct. Anal. 14 (1973), 349–381.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Berestycki, H., & P.-L. Lions, Nonlinear scalar field equations I, II, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 82 (1983), 313–345, 347–375.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Berger, M., On the existence and structure of stationary states fora nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation, J. Funct. Anal. 9 (1972), 249–261.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ding, W.-Y., & W.-M. NI, On the elliptic equation \(\Delta u{\text{ + }}K{\text{ }}u^{\frac{{n + 2}}{{n - 2}}} {\text{ = 0}}\) and related topics, Duke Math. J. 52 (1985), 485–506.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gidas, B., W.-M. NI, & L. Nirenberg, Symmetry of positive solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations in ℝn, Advances in Math. Supplementary Studies 7A (1981), 369–402.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gidas, B., W.-M. Ni, & L. Nirenberg, Symmetry and related properties via the maximum principle, Comm. Math. Phys. 68 (1979), 209–243.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kato, T., Growth properties of solutions of the reduced wave equation with a variable coefficient, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 12 (1959), 403–425.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lions, P.-L., The concentration-compactness principle in the calculus of variations. The locally compact case, II. Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincaré — Analyse non linéaire 1 (1984), 223–283.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Nehari, Z., On a nonlinear differential equation arising in nuclear physics, Proc. Roy. Irish Acad. 62 (1963), 117–135.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ni, W.-M., On the elliptic equation \(\Delta u{\text{ + }}K{\text{(}}x{\text{) }}u^{\frac{{n + 2}}{{n - 2}}} {\text{ = 0}}\), its generalizations and applications to geometry, Indiana Univ. Math. J. 31 (1982), 493–529.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Rabinowitz, P., Variational methods for nonlinear eigenvalue problems, Eigenvalues of Nonlinear Problems, C.I.M.E. Edizioni Cremonese 1974.

  12. Serrin, J., A symmetry problem in potential theory, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 43 (1971), 304–318.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Strauss, W. A., Existence of solitary waves in higher dimensions, Comm. Math. Phys. 55 (1977), 149–162.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Stuart, C. A., Bifurcation for Dirichlet problems without eigenvalues, Proc. London Math. Soc. (3) 45 (1982), 169–192.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang, D., Private communication.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Dedicated to James Serrin on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ding, WY., Ni, WM. On the existence of positive entire solutions of a semilinear elliptic equation. Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 91, 283–308 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00282336

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00282336

Keywords

Navigation