Liouville theorem for a class of p-Laplace type equations on manifolds

Abstract

We study a class of $p$-Laplace equations $$\Delta_p u-\lambda u^{p-1}+ u^{q-1}=0$$ on a closed $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$ with $\operatorname{Ric}\geqslant(n-1)g$. For $1<p<2$, $p<q<p^*$, and $0<\lambda<S_{p,q}^{-1}$, where $$S_{p,q}=\frac{q-p}{2}(\frac p n)^{\frac p 2}\Big(\frac{(p^*-1)^2(2-p)}{(p_*-1)(q-1)(p^*-q)}\Big)^{\frac{2-p}{2}},$$ with $p_*=\frac{(n-1)p}{n-p}$ and $p^*=\frac{np}{n-p}$, we prove that the constant $\lambda^{\frac{1}{q-p}}$ is the unique positive solution of the equation. In contrast, for $p>2$ and $p<q<p^*$, the uniqueness fails for every $\lambda>0$; aside from the constant solution, the equation admits a positive nonconstant solution. This answers V\'eron's problem raised in \cite{Ver92}.