Concavity properties for quasilinear equations and optimality remarks

Abstract

In this paper we study quasiconcavity properties of solutions of Dirichlet problems related to modified nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations of the type $$-{\rm div}\big(a(u) \nabla u\big) + \frac{a'(u)}{2} |\nabla u|^2 = f(u) \quad \hbox{in $\Omega$},$$ where $\Omega$ is a convex bounded domain of $\mathbb{R}^N$. In particular, we search for a function $\varphi:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$, modeled on $f\in C^1$ and $a\in C^1$, which makes $\varphi(u)$ concave. Moreover, we discuss the optimality of the conditions assumed on the source.