The Multiple positive solutions to a nonlocal problem with critical and supercritical nonlinear terms

  • Jie Guo orcid

    Basic Education Department, Guiyang Vocational and Technical College, Guiyang 550081, China

  • Yue Wang orcid

    School of Data Science and Information Engineering, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang 550025, China

Article ID: 4561
Keywords: nonlocal problem; critical exponent; supercritical growth; Nehari method

Abstract

Nonlocal equations have emerged as a prominent research frontier in the field of nonlinear partial differential equations, while simultaneously posing pervasive challenges in theoretical modeling across disciplines including elastic vibrations and geometric analysis. To date, the academic community has developed a robust and comprehensive theoretical framework for such equations, with existing results encompassing both critical and supercritical nonlinearities. Nevertheless, when employing variational methods to investigate multiple positive solutions of nonlocal equations defined on the four-dimensional ball, the loss of embedding compactness induced by critical terms remains a core bottleneck hindering further progress. This paper explores multiple positive solutions of nonlocal equations with both critical and supercritical nonlinear terms on the four-dimensional spherical domain. To rigorously establish the existence of multiple positive solutions, we integrate the Nehari manifold framework with advanced variational techniques. We harness the Brézis–Lieb lemma to circumvent the compactness deficiency arising from critical nonlinearities, and draw upon potential function analysis to compensate for the failure of compactness conditions caused by supercritical terms, thereby rigorously proving the existence of k distinct positive solutions for the equation. This result not only generalizes some existing conclusions in the literature but also offers new insights for further research on high-dimensional nonlocal problems.

Published
2026-09-07
How to Cite
Guo, J., & Wang, Y. (2026). The Multiple positive solutions to a nonlocal problem with critical and supercritical nonlinear terms. Advances in Differential Equations and Control Processes, 33(3). https://doi.org/10.59400/adecp4561

References

[1]Wang Y, Suo HM, Lei CY. Multiple positive solutions for a nonlocal problem involving critical

[2]exponent. Electronic Journal of Differential Equations. 2017; 2017: 275. Available online:

[3]https://ejde.math.txstate.edu/Volumes/2017/275/abstr.html

[4]Wang Y. The third solution for a Kirchhoff-type problem with a critical exponent. Journal of Mathematical Analysis

[5]and Applications. 2023; 526(1): 127174. doi: 10.1016/j.jmaa.2023.127174

[6]Kirchhoff GR. Vorlesungen über Matematische Physik: Mechanik. Leipzig; 1876. (in German)

[7]Naimen D. The critical problem of Kirchhoff type elliptic equations in dimension four. Journal of Differential

[8]Equations. 2014; 257(4): 1168–1193. doi: 10.1016/j.jde.2014.05.002

[9]Wang Y, Wei W. Optimal control problem governed by a kind of Kirchhoff-type equation. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals.

[10]; 187: 115422. doi: 10.1016/j.chaos.2024.115422

[11]Lei CY, Liao JF. Positive Solutions for a Kirchhoff-Type Equation with Critical and Supercritical Nonlinear Terms.

[12]Bulletin of the Malaysian Mathematical Sciences Society. 2022; 45(4): 1583–1606. doi: 10.1007/s40840-022-01286-0

[13]Lei J, Suo HM. Multiple positive solutions for a Schrödinger-Poisson system with critical and supercritical growths.

[14]Izvestiya: Mathematics. 2023; 87(1): 29–44. doi: 10.4213/im9244e

[15]Abolhassanifar MS, Ghaemi MB, Saadati R. Existence and vanishing profiles in p-Laplacian Kirchhoff problems with

[16]critical growth and degenerate coefficients. Journal of Elliptic and Parabolic Equations. 2025; 11(2): 1241–1278. doi:

[17]1007/s41808-025-00372-1

[18]Cunha GN, Faraci F, Silva K. Three Weak Solutions for a Critical Non-Local Problem with Strong Singularity in High

[19]Dimension. Mathematics. 2024; 12(18): 2910. doi: 10.3390/math12182910

[20]Yu S, Huang L, Chen J. High Perturbations of a Fractional Kirchhoff Equation with Critical Nonlinearities. Axioms.

[21]; 13(5): 337. doi: 10.3390/axioms13050337

[22]Guefaifia R, Bellamouchi C, Boulaaras S, et al. A nonlocal coupled system involving N-Laplacian operator:

[23]existence and asymptotic behavior of positive solutions. Boundary Value Problems. 2025; 2025(1): 32. doi:

[24]1186/s13661-025-02006-w

[25]Guefaifia R, Boulaaras S. Anisotropic Kirchhoff systems with singular terms and critical exponential growth:

[26]existence and numerical evidence via the Finsler–Laplacian. Boundary Value Problems. 2026; 2026(1): 115. doi:

[27]1186/s13661-026-02300-1

[28]Jiao C, Pei R. Existence of Multiple Solutions for Fractional p-Kirchhoff Equation with Critical Sobolev Exponent.

[29]Mediterranean Journal of Mathematics. 2023; 20(4): 206. doi: 10.1007/s00009-023-02409-y

[30]Gao Y, Luo X, Zhen M. Existence and classification of positive solutions for coupled purely critical Kirchhoff system.

[31]Bulletin of Mathematical Sciences. 2024; 14(2): 2450002. doi: 10.1142/S1664360724500024

[32]Jiang Z. Multiplicity of solutions to a p-Kirchhoff equation with critical exponent. Boundary Value Problems. 2025;

[33](1): 78. doi: 10.1186/s13661-025-02071-1

[34]Cheng Y, Bai Z. Existence and multiplicity results for parameter Kirchhoff double phase problem with Hardy–Sobolev

[35]exponents. Journal of Mathematical Physics. 2024; 65(1): 011506. doi: 10.1063/5.0169972

[36]Tordecilla JAL. Positive solution for a singular and nonlocal problem of the N -Kirchhoff type. Applicable Analysis.

[37]; 103(18): 3313–3325. doi: 10.1080/00036811.2024.2352124

[38]Liu Z, Liang S, Zhang W. Nonlocal Q-Laplacian Equation on the Heisenberg Group. The Journal of Geometric

[39]Analysis. 2025; 35(1): 4. doi: 10.1007/s12220-024-01827-y

[40]Wang Y, Liu Y, Chen C, et al. Existence of Multiple Solutions to a Transmission Problem. Axioms. 2026; 15(6): 445.

[41]doi: 10.3390/axioms15060445

[42]Lapa EC. Global solutions for a nonlinear Kirchhoff type equation with viscosity. Opuscula Mathematica. 2023; 43(5):

[43]–701. doi: 10.7494/OpMath.2023.43.5.689

[44]Qian X. Multiplicity of positive solutions for a class of nonlocal problem involving critical exponent. Electronic Journal

[45]of Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations. 2021; (57): 1–14. doi: 10.14232/ejqtde.2021.1.57

[46]Qian X, Shi Z. Multiple positive solutions for a nonlocal problem with fast increasing weight and critical exponent.

[47]Boundary Value Problems. 2025; 2025(1): 3. doi: 10.1186/s13661-024-01986-5

[48]Chu C, Jiang T, Liu J. Multiple sign-changing solutions for a new nonlocal problem with critical growth. Journal of

[49]Nonlinear and Variational Analysis. 2026; 10(5): 913–925. doi: 10.23952/jnva.10.2026.5.03

[50]Chu C, Liu J. Existence and multiplicity of solutions for a new p(x)-Kirchhoff equation. Advances in Nonlinear

[51]Analysis. 2024; 13(1): 20240018. doi: 10.1515/anona-2024-0018

[52]Zhang X, Li L, Sun J. Multiplicity and asymptotic behavior of solutions for a degenerate Kirchhoff type problem.

[53]Applied Mathematics Letters. 2026; 173: 109775. doi: 10.1016/j.aml.2025.109775

[54]Yaremenko MI. Logarithmic Sobolev inequality in the variable exponent setting and its applications to hyperbolic

[55]differential equations with a logarithmic source term. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Matematica. 2026; 71(1):

[56]–133. doi: 10.24193/subbmath.2026.1.08

[57]He J, You S. Existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for Kirchhoff type equations at the critical frequency.

[58]Electronic Journal of Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations. 2026; (15): 1–18. doi: 10.14232/ejqtde.2026.1.15

[59]Rădulescu VD, Vetro C. Anisotropic Navier Kirchhoff problems with convection and Laplacian dependence.

[60]Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences. 2023; 46(1): 461–478. doi: 10.1002/mma.8521

[61]Wu D, Suo H, Lei J. Multiple Positive Solutions for Kirchhoff-Type Problems Involving Supercritical and Critical

[62]Terms. Qualitative Theory of Dynamical Systems. 2024; 23(3): 139. doi: 10.1007/s12346-024-00999-w

[63]Chu CM, Xiao YX. The Multiplicity of Nontrivial Solutions for a New p(x)-Kirchhoff-Type Elliptic Problem. Journal

[64]of Function Spaces. 2021; 2021: 1–7. doi: 10.1155/2021/1569376

[65]Wu D, Suo H, Peng L, et al. Existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for a class of Kirchhoff type problems

[66]with singularity and critical exponents. AIMS Mathematics. 2022; 7(5): 7909–7935. doi: 10.3934/math.2022443

[67]Do Ó JM, Ruf B, Ubilla P. On supercritical Sobolev type inequalities and related elliptic equations. Calculus of

[68]Variations and Partial Differential Equations. 2016; 55(4): 83. doi: 10.1007/s00526-016-1015-6

[69]Brezis H, Nirenberg L. Positive solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations involving critical sobolev exponents.

[70]Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics. 1983; 36(4): 437–477. doi: 10.1002/cpa.3160360405

[71]Lions PL. The Concentration-Compactness Principle in the Calculus of Variations. The limit case, Part 1. Revista

[72]Matemática Iberoamericana. 1985; 1(1): 145–201. doi: 10.4171/rmi/6

[73]Ekeland I. On the variational principle. Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications. 1974; 47(2): 324–353.

[74]doi: 10.1016/0022-247X(74)90025-0