On the existence of a positive solution of semilinear elliptic equations in unbounded domains

Abstract

We prove here the existence of a positive solution, under general conditions, for semilinear elliptic equations in unbounded domains with a variational structure. The solutions we build cannot be obtained in general by minimization problems. And even if Palais-Smale condition is violated, precise estimates on the losses of compactness are obtained by the concentration-compactness method which enables us to apply the theory of critical points at infinity.