Two-point boundary value problems for planar systems: A lower and upper solutions approach

Abstract

We extend the theory of lower and upper solutions to planar systems of ordinary differential equations with separated boundary conditions, both in the well-ordered and in the non-well-ordered cases. We are able to deal with general Sturm–Liouville boundary conditions in the well-ordered case, and we analyze the Dirichlet problem in the non-well-ordered case. Our results apply in particular to scalar second order differential equations, including those driven by the mean curvature operator. Higher dimensional systems are also treated, with the same approach.