Hindawi Publishing Corporation Boundary Value Problems Volume 2008, Article ID 123823, 11 pages doi:10.1155/2008/123823 Research Article Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions for Singular Higher Order Continuous and Discrete Boundary Value Problems Chengjun Yuan,1, 2 Daqing Jiang,1 and You Zhang1 1 2 School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, Jilin, China School of Mathematics and Computer, Harbin University, Harbin 150086, Heilongjiang, China Correspondence should be addressed to Chengjun Yuan, ycj7102@163.com Received 4 July 2007; Accepted 31 December 2007 Recommended by Raul Manasevich By mixed monotone method, the existence and uniqueness are established for singular higher-order continuous and discrete boundary value problems. The theorems obtained are very general and complement previous known results. Copyright q 2008 Chengjun Yuan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 1. Introduction In recent years, the study of higher-order continuous and discrete boundary value problems has been studied extensively in the literature see 1–17 and their references. Most of the results told us that the equations had at least single and multiple positive solutions. Recently, some authors have dealt with the uniqueness of solutions for singular higherorder continuous boundary value problems by using mixed monotone method, for example, see 6, 14, 15. However, there are few works on the uniqueness of solutions for singular discrete boundary value problems. In this paper, we state a unique fixed point theorem for a class of mixed monotone operators, see 6, 14, 18. In virtue of the theorem, we consider the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the following singular higher-order continuous and discrete boundary value problems 1.1 and 1.2 by using mixed monotone method. We first discuss the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the following singular higher-order continuous boundary value problem y n tλqtgyhy 0, y i 0 y n−2 1 0, 0 < t < 1, λ > 0, 0 ≤ i ≤ n − 2, 1.1 2 Boundary Value Problems where n ≥ 2, qt ∈ C0, 1, 0, ∞, g : 0, ∞ → 0, ∞ is continuous and nondecreasing; h : 0, ∞ → 0, ∞ is continuous and nonincreasing, and h may be singular at y 0. Next, we consider the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the following singular higher-order discrete boundary value problem Δn yiλqin−1gyin−1 hyin−1 0, Δk y0 Δn−2 yT 1 0, i ∈ N {0, 1, 2, . . . , T − 1}, λ > 0, 0 ≤ k ≤ n − 2, 1.2 where n ≥ 2, N {0, 1, 2, . . . , T n}, qi ∈ CN , 0, ∞, g : 0, ∞ → 0, ∞ is continuous and nondecreasing; h : 0, ∞ → 0, ∞ is continuous and nonincreasing, and h may be singular at y 0. Throughout this paper, the topology on N will be the discrete topology. 2. Preliminaries Let P be a normal cone of a Banach space E, and e ∈ P with e ≤ 1, e / θ. Define Qe {x ∈ P | x / θ, there exist constants m, M > 0 such that m e ≤ x ≤ Me}. 2.1 Now we give a definition see 18. Definition 2.1 see 18. Assume A : Qe × Qe → Qe . A is said to be mixed monotone if Ax, y is nondecreasing in x and nonincreasing in y, that is, if x1 ≤ x2 x1 , x2 ∈ Qe implies Ax1 , y ≤ Ax2 , y for any y ∈ Qe , and y1 ≤ y2 y1 , y2 ∈ Qe implies Ax, y1 ≥ Ax, y2 for any x ∈ Qe . x∗ ∈ Qe is said to be a fixed point of A if Ax∗ , x∗ x∗ . Theorem 2.2 see 6, 14. Suppose that A: Qe × Qe → Qe is a mixed monotone operator and ∃a constantα, 0 ≤ α < 1, such that 1 A tx, y ≥ tα Ax, y, for x, y ∈ Qe , 0 < t < 1. 2.2 t Then A has a unique fixed point x∗ ∈ Qe . Moreover, for any x0 , y0 ∈ Qe × Qe , xn A xn−1 , yn−1 , yn A yn−1 , xn−1 , n 1, 2, . . . , 2.3 satisfy xn −→ x∗ , where xn − x∗ o 1 − r αn , yn −→ x∗ , 2.4 yn − x∗ o 1 − r αn , 2.5 0 < r < 1, r is a constant from x0 , y0 . Theorem 2.3 see 6, 14, 18. Suppose that A: Qe × Qe → Qe is a mixed monotone operator and ∃ a constant α ∈ 0, 1 such that 2.2 holds. If xλ∗ is a unique solution of equation Ax, x λx, in Qe , then xλ∗ − xλ∗ 0 λ > 0 → 0, λ → λ0 . If 0 < α < 1/2, then 0 < λ1 < λ2 implies lim xλ∗ ∞. lim xλ∗ 0, λ→∞ λ→0 2.6 xλ∗ 1 ≥ xλ∗ 2 , xλ∗ 1 / xλ∗ 2 , and 2.7 Chengjun Yuan et al. 3 3. Uniqueness positive solution of differential equations 1.1 This section discusses singular higher-order boundary value problem 1.1. Throughout this section, we let Gt, s be the Green’s function to −y 0, y0 y1 0, we note that ⎧ ⎨t1 − s, 0 ≤ t ≤ s ≤ 1, Gt, s 3.1 ⎩s1 − t, 0 ≤ s ≤ t ≤ 1, and one can show that Gt, tGs, s ≤ Gt, s ≤ Gt, t, for Gt, s ≤ Gs, s, t, s ∈ 0, 1 × 0, 1. 3.2 Suppose that y is a positive solution of 1.1. Let xt y n−2 t, 3.3 from y i 0 y n−2 1 0, 0 ≤ i ≤ n−2, and Taylor Formula, we define operator T : C2 0, 1 → Cn 0, 1, by t t − sn−3 yt T xt xsds, for 3 ≤ n, 3.4 0 n − 3! yt T xt xt, for n 2.. Then we have x2 t λft, T xt 0, 0 < t < 1, λ > 0, x0 x1 0. 3.5 Then from 3.4, we have the next lemma. Lemma 3.1. If xt is a solution of 3.5, then yt is a solution of 1.1. Further, if yt is a solution of 1.1, imply that xt is a solution of 3.5. Let P {x ∈ C0, 1 | xt ≥ 0, for all t ∈ 0, 1}. Obviously, P is a normal cone of Banach space C0, 1. Theorem 3.2. Suppose that there exists α ∈ 0, 1 such that gtx ≥ tα gx, h t−1 x ≥ tα hx, for any t ∈ 0, 1 and x > 0, and q ∈ C0, 1, 0, ∞ satisfies 1 −α n−1 s n − 2s qsds < ∞. 3.6 3.7 3.8 0 Then 1.1 has a unique positive solution yλ∗ t. And moreover, 0 < λ1 < λ2 implies yλ∗1 ≤ yλ∗2 , yλ∗1 / yλ∗2 . If α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim yλ∗ 0, lim yλ∗ ∞. 3.9 λ→0 λ→∞ 4 Boundary Value Problems Proof. Since 3.7 holds, let t−1 x y, one has hy ≥ tα hty. 3.10 Then hty ≤ 1 hy, tα for t ∈ 0, 1, y > 0. 3.11 Let y 1. The above inequality is ht ≤ 1 h1, tα for t ∈ 0, 1. 3.12 From 3.7, 3.11, and 3.12, one has 1 ≥ tα h1, h t h t−1 x ≥ tα hx, htx ≤ 1 hx, tα ht ≤ 1 h1, for t ∈ 0, 1, x > 0. tα 3.13 Similarly, from 3.6, one has gtx ≥ tα gx, gt ≥ tα g1, for t ∈ 0, 1, x > 0. 3.14 Let t 1/x, x > 1, one has gx ≤ xα g1, for x ≥ 1. 3.15 Let et Gt, t t1 − t, and we define Qe 1 x ∈ C0, 1 | Gt, t ≤ xt ≤ MGt, t, t ∈ 0, 1 , M 3.16 where M > 1 is chosen such that M > max 1 λg1 qsds λh1 0 1 0 sn−1 n − 2s n! −α 1/1−α qsds , α −1/1−α 1 1 sn−1 n − 2s λg1 Gs, s qsds λh1 Gs, sqsds . n! 0 0 3.17 First, from 3.4 and 3.16, for any x ∈ Qe , we have the following. When 3 ≤ n, t 1 t − sn−3 Gs, s ds ≤ T xt n − 3! 0M t tn−1 n − 2t t − sn−3 ds ≤ M ≤ M, ≤ MGs, s n − 3! n! 0 1 tn−1 n − 2t ≤ M n! 3.18 for t ∈ 0, 1, Chengjun Yuan et al. 5 when n 2, tn − 2t 1 tn−1 n − 2t ≤ T xt xt ≤ M ≤ M, M n! n! for t ∈ 0, 1, 3.19 then 1 tn−1 n − 2t tn−1 n − 2t ≤ T xt ≤ M ≤ M, M n! n! for t ∈ 0, 1. For any x, y ∈ Qe , we define 1 Aλ x, yt λ Gt, sqsgT xs hT ysds, for t ∈ 0, 1. 3.20 3.21 0 First, we show that Aλ : Qe × Qe → Qe . Let x, y ∈ Qe , from 3.14, 3.15, and 3.20, we have gT xt ≤ gM ≤ Mα g1, and from 3.13, we have for t ∈ 0, 1, −α 1 tn−1 n − 2t 1 tn−1 n − 2t hT yt ≤ h h ≤ M n! n! M −α n−1 n − 2t α t ≤M h1, for t ∈ 0, 1. n! Then, from 3.2, 3.21, 3.22 and 3.23, we have −α 1 1 sn−1 n − 2s α α Aλ x, yt ≤ λGt, t M g1qsds M h1qsds n! 0 0 ≤ MGt, t, 3.22 3.23 3.24 for t ∈ 0, 1. On the other hand, for any x, y ∈ Qe , from 3.13 and 3.14, we have α α tn−1 n − 2t 1 tn−1 n − 2t 1 1 tn−1 n − 2t ≥ gT xt ≥ g g g1, ≥ M n! n! M n! Mα 1 1 ≥ h1, for t ∈ 0, 1. hT yt ≥ hM h 1/M Mα 3.25 Thus, from 3.2, 3.21 and 3.25, we have Aλ x, yt 1 ≥ λGt, t Gs, sqsM −α 0 ≥ 1 Gt, t, M sn−1 n − 2s n! α g1ds for t ∈ 0, 1. So, Aλ is well defined and Aλ Qe × Qe ⊂ Qe . 1 0 Gs, sqsM−α h1ds 3.26 6 Boundary Value Problems Next, for any l ∈ 0, 1, one has 1 −1 Aλ lx, l y t λ Gt, sqs glT xs h l−1 T ys ds 0 1 ≥ λ Gt, sqs lα gT xs lα hT ys ds 3.27 0 l Aλ x, yt, α for t ∈ 0, 1. So the conditions of Theorems 2.2 and 2.3 hold. Therefore, there exists a unique xλ∗ ∈ Qe such that Aλ x∗ , x∗ xλ∗ . It is easy to check that xλ∗ is a unique positive solution of 3.5 for given λ > 0. Moreover, Theorem 2.3 means that if 0 < λ1 < λ2 , then xλ∗ 1 t ≤ xλ∗ 2 t, xλ∗ 1 t / xλ∗ 2 t and if α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim xλ∗ 0, λ→0 lim xλ∗ ∞. λ→∞ 3.28 Next, from Lemma 3.1 and 3.4, we get that yλ∗ T xλ∗ is a unique positive solution of 1.1 for given λ > 0. Moreover, if 0 < λ1 < λ2 , then yλ∗1 t ≤ yλ∗2 t, yλ∗1 t / yλ∗2 t and if α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim yλ∗ 0, λ→0 lim yλ∗ ∞. λ→∞ 3.29 This completes the proof. Example 3.3. Consider the following singular boundary value problem: y n t λ μy a t y −b t 0, y i 0 y n−2 1 0, t ∈ 0, 1, 0 ≤ i ≤ n − 2, 3.30 where λ, a, b > 0, μ ≥ 0, max{a, b} < 1/n − 1. Applying Theorem 3.2, let α max{a, b} < 1/n − 1, qt 1, gy μy a , hy y −b , then gty ≥ tα gy, h t−1 ≥ tα hy, 1 −α n−1 s n − 2s ds < ∞. 3.31 0 Thus all conditions in Theorem 3.2 are satisfied. We can find 3.30 has a unique positive solution yλ∗ t. In addition, 0 < λ1 < λ2 implies yλ∗1 ≤ yλ∗2 , yλ∗1 / yλ∗2 . If α max{a, b} ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim yλ∗ 0, λ→0 lim yλ∗ ∞. λ→∞ 3.32 Chengjun Yuan et al. 7 4. Uniqueness positive solution of difference equations 1.2 This section discusses singular higher-order boundary value problem 1.2. Throughout this section, we let Ki, j be Green’s function to −Δ2 yi ui 1 0, i ∈ N, y0 yT 1 0, we note that ⎧ jT 1 − i ⎪ ⎪ , 0 ≤ j ≤ i − 1, ⎨ T 1 Ki, j ⎪ ⎪ ⎩ iT 1 − j , i ≤ j ≤ T 1, T 1 4.1 and one can show that Ki, i ≥ Ki, j, Kj, j ≥ Ki, j, Ki, j ≥ Ki, i , T 1 for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1, 1 ≤ j ≤ T. 4.2 Suppose that y is a positive solution of 1.2. Let xi Δn−2 yi, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. 4.3 From Δi y0 Δn−2 yT 1 0, 0 ≤ i ≤ n − 2, and Δm yi − 1 Δm−1 yi − Δm−1 yi − 1, so we define operator T , by T xi yi n − 1 i1 n−2 Ci−ln−1 xl, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T. 4.4 l1 Then Δ2 xi λFi n − 1, T xi 0, 0 ≤ i ≤ T − 1, λ > 0, x0 xT 1 0. 4.5 Lemma 4.1. If xi is a solution of 4.5, then yi is a solutionn of 1.2. Proof. Since we remark that xi is a solution of 4.5, if and only if xi T Ki, jλFj n − 1, T xj, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. 4.6 j1 Let T xi yi n − 1, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T. 4.7 From 4.4 we find Δi y0 Δn−2 yT 1 0, 0 ≤ i ≤ n − 2, and xi Δn−2 yi, so that yi is a solution of 1.2. Further, if yi is a solution of 1.2, imply that xi is a solution of 4.5. Let P {x ∈ CN , 0, ∞ | xi ≥ 0, for all i ∈ N }. Obviously, P is a normal cone of Banach space CN , 0, ∞. 8 Boundary Value Problems Theorem 4.2. Suppose that there exists α ∈ 0, 1 such that gtx ≥ tα gx, h t−1 x ≥ tα gx, 4.8 for any t ∈ 0, 1 and x > 0, and q ∈ CN , 0, ∞. Then 1.2 has a unique positive solution yλ∗ i. And moreover, 0 < λ1 < λ2 implies yλ∗1 ≤ yλ∗2 , ∗ yλ1 / yλ∗2 . If α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim yλ∗ 0, lim yλ∗ ∞. λ→0 4.9 λ→∞ Proof. The proof is the same as that of Theorem 3.2, from 4.12 and 4.13, one has h t−1 x ≥ tα hx, 1 ≥ tα h1, h t htx ≤ 1 hx, tα gtx ≥ tα gx, gt ≥ tα g1, ht ≤ 1 h1, tα for t ∈ 0, 1, x > 0; for t ∈ 0, 1, x > 0. 4.10 gtx ≥ t gx, gt ≥ t g1, α for t ∈ 0, 1, x > 0. α 4.11 Let t 1/x, x > 1, one has gx ≤ xα g1, for x ≥ 1. 4.12 Let ei Ki, i/T 1, and we define Qe 1 ei ≤ xi ≤ Mei, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1 , x∈P | M 4.13 where M > 1 is chosen such that M > max j1 α T n−2 λT 1g1 qj n − 1 Cj−ln−1 j1 λT 11α h1 l1 T 1/1−α K −α j, jqj n − 1 ; j1 j1 −α −1/1−α T T Kj, j α n−2 λg1 qj n − 1 λh1 qj n − 1 Cj−ln−1 . T 1 j1 j1 l1 4.14 From 4.4 and 4.13, for any x ∈ Qe , we have j1 j1 1 n−2 n−2 Cj−ln−1 xl ≤ Mej Cj−ln−1 , ej ≤ T xj M l1 l1 for 0 ≤ j ≤ T. 4.15 Chengjun Yuan et al. 9 For any x, y ∈ Qe , we define Aλ x, yi λ T Ki, jqj n − 1gT xj hT yj, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. 4.16 j1 First we show that Aλ : Qe × Qe → Qe . Let x, y ∈ Qe , from 4.11 and 4.12, we have α j1 j1 j1 n−2 n−2 n−2 Cj−ln−1 g1, gT xj ≤ g Mej Cj−ln−1 ≤ g M Cj−ln−1 ≤ Mα l1 l1 for 1 ≤ j ≤ T , l1 4.17 and from 4.10, we have 1 1 −α ej ≤ e jh ≤ Mα e−α jh1, for 1 ≤ j ≤ T. hT yj ≤ h M M Then, from 4.2 and the above, we have T Aλ x, yi ≤ λKi, i qj n − 1gT xj T 1hT yj j1 ≤ eiM λT 1 g1 α T j1 qj n − 1 j1 h1 ≤ eiMα λT 1 g1 T e jqj n − 1 j1 qj n − 1 j1 h1 α T 1 4.19 n−2 Cj−ln−1 l1 T Kj, j −α j1 ≤ Mei, −α j1 α n−2 Cj−ln−1 l1 T 4.18 qj n − 1 for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. On the other hand, for any x, y ∈ Qe , from 4.10 and 4.12, we have 1 1 ej ≥ eα j α g1, for 1 ≤ j ≤ T, gxj ≥ g M M j1 −α j1 n−2 −α n−2 Cj−ln−1 h1, for 1 ≤ j ≤ T. hyj ≥ h Mej Cj−ln−1 ≥ M l1 4.20 4.21 l1 Thus, from 4.2 and 4.16, we have T T qj n − 1gT xj qj n − 1hT yj Aλ x, yi ≥ λei j0 ≥ λeiM ≥ 1 ei, M −α j0 j1 −α T T Ki, i α n−2 g1 qj h1 qj n − 1 Cj−ln−1 T 1 j0 j0 l1 for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. 4.22 10 Boundary Value Problems So, Aλ is well defined and Aλ Qe × Qe ⊂ Qe . Next, for any l ∈ 0, 1, one has T Aλ lx, l−1 y i λ Ki, jqj n − 1 gT lxj h T l−1 yj j1 T λ Ki, jqj n − 1 glT xj h l−1 T yj j1 4.23 T ≥ λ Ki, jqj n − 1 lα gT xj lα hT yj ds j1 lα Aλ x, yi, for 0 ≤ i ≤ T 1. So the conditions of Theorems 2.2 and 2.3 hold. Therefore, there exists a unique xλ∗ ∈ Qe such that Aλ x∗ , x∗ xλ∗ . It is easy to check that xλ∗ is a unique positive solution of 4.5 for given λ > 0. Moreover, Theorem 2.3 means that if 0 < λ1 < λ2 , then xλ∗ 1 t ≤ xλ∗ 2 t, xλ∗ 1 t / xλ∗ 2 t and if α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim xλ∗ 0, λ→0 lim xλ∗ ∞. λ→∞ 4.24 Next, on using Lemma 3.1, from 4.5, we get that yλ∗ T xλ∗ is a unique positive solution of 1.2 for given λ > 0. Moreover, if 0 < λ1 < λ2 , then yλ∗1 t ≤ yλ∗2 t, yλ∗1 t / yλ∗2 t and if α ∈ 0, 1/2, then lim yλ∗ 0, λ→0 lim yλ∗ ∞. λ→∞ 4.25 This completes the proof. Example 4.3. Consider the following singular boundary value problem: Δn yi − 1 λ μy a i y −b i 0, Δi y0 Δn−2 y1 0, i ∈ N, 0 ≤ i ≤ n − 2, 4.26 where λ, a, b > 0, μ ≥ 0, max{a, b} < 1. 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