A priori bounds and multiplicity of positive solutions for $p$-Laplacian Neumann problems with sub-critical growth

Abstract

Let $1<p<+\infty$ and let $\Omega\subset\mathbb R^N$ be either a ball or an annulus. We continue the analysis started in [Boscaggin, Colasuonno, Noris, ESAIM Control Optim. Calc. Var. (2017)], concerning quasilinear Neumann problems of the type \[ -\Delta_p u = f(u), \quad u>0 \mbox{ in } \Omega, \quad \partial_\nu u = 0 \mbox{ on } \partial\Omega. \] We suppose that $f(0)=f(1)=0$ and that $f$ is negative between the two zeros and positive after. In case $\Omega$ is a ball, we also require that $f$ grows less than the Sobolev-critical power at infinity. We prove a priori bounds of radial solutions, focusing in particular on solutions which start above 1. As an application, we use the shooting technique to get existence, multiplicity and oscillatory behavior (around 1) of non-constant radial solutions.