Multiplicity of bounded solutions to the $k$-Hessian equation with a Matukuma-type source

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to deal with the $k$-Hessian counterpart of the Laplace equation involving a nonlinearity studied by Matukuma. Namely, our model is the problem \begin{equation*} (1)\;\;\;\begin{cases} S_k(D^2u)= \lambda \frac{|x|^{\mu-2}}{(1+|x|^2)^{\frac{\mu}{2}}} (1-u)^q &\mbox{in }\;\; B,\\ u <0 & \mbox{in }\;\; B,\\ u=0 &\mbox{on }\partial B, \end{cases} \end{equation*} where $B$ denotes the unit ball in $\mathbb{R}^n,n>2k$ ($k\in\mathbb{N}$), $\lambda>0$ is an additional parameter, $q>k$ and $\mu\geq 2$. In this setting, through a transformation recently introduced by two of the authors that reduces problem (1) to a non-autonomous two-dimensional generalized Lotka-Volterra system, we prove the existence and multiplicity of solutions for the above problem combining dynamical-systems tools, the intersection number between a regular and a singular solution and the super and subsolution method.