Spectral analysis of a generalized buckling problem on a ball

Abstract

In this paper, the spectrum of the following fourth order problem \begin{equation*} \begin{cases} \Delta^2 u+\nu u=-\lambda \Delta u &\text{in } D_1,\newline u=\partial_r u= 0 &\text{on } \partial D_1, \end{cases} \end{equation*} where $D_1$ is the unit ball in ${\mathbb R}^N$, is determined for $\nu < 0$ as well as the nodal properties of the corresponding eigenfunctions. In particular, we show that the first eigenvalue is simple and that the corresponding eigenfunction is radial and (up to a multiplicative factor) positive and decreasing with respect to the radius. This completes earlier results obtained for $\nu \ge 0$ and for $\nu <0$.