The two-dimensional Lazer-McKenna conjecture for an exponential nonlinearity

We consider the problem of Ambrosetti-Prodi type \begin{equation}\label{0}\quad\begin{cases} \Delta u + e^u = s\phi_1 + h(x) &\hbox{in} \Omega, u=0 & \hbox{on} \partial \Omega, \end{cases} \nonumber \end{equation} where $\Omega$ is a bounded, smooth domain in $\R^2$, $\phi_1$ is a positive first eigenfunction of the Laplacian under Dirichlet boundary conditions and $h\in\mathcal{C}^{0,\alpha}(\bar{\Omega})$. We prove that given $k\ge 1$ this problem has at least $k$ solutions for all sufficiently large $s>0$, which answers affirmatively a conjecture by Lazer and McKenna \cite{LM1} for this case. The solutions found exhibit multiple concentration behavior around maxima of $\phi_1$ as $s\to +\infty$.Comment: 24 pages, to appear in J. Diff. Eqn

Ancient multiple-layer solutions to the Allen-Cahn equation

We consider the parabolic one-dimensional Allen-Cahn equation $$u_t= u_{xx}+ u(1-u^2)\quad (x,t)\in \mathbb{R}\times (-\infty, 0].$$ The steady state $w(x) =\tanh (x/\sqrt{2})$, connects, as a "transition layer" the stable phases $-1$ and $+1$. We construct a solution $u$ with any given number $k$ of transition layers between $-1$ and $+1$. At main order they consist of $k$ time-traveling copies of $w$ with interfaces diverging one to each other as $t\to -\infty$. More precisely, we find $$u(x,t) \approx \sum_{j=1}^k (-1)^{j-1}w(x-\xi_j(t)) + \frac 12 ((-1)^{k-1}- 1)\quad \hbox{as} t\to -\infty,$$ where the functions $\xi_j(t)$ satisfy a first order Toda-type system. They are given by $$\xi_j(t)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(j-\frac{k+1}{2}\right)\log(-t)+\gamma_{jk},\quad j=1,...,k,$$ for certain explicit constants $\gamma_{jk}.

Large mass boundary condensation patterns in the stationary Keller-Segel system

We consider the boundary value problem $-\Delta u + u =\lambda e^u$ in $\Omega$ with Neumann boundary condition, where $\Omega$ is a bounded smooth domain in $\mathbb R^2$, $\lambda>0.$ This problem is equivalent to the stationary Keller-Segel system from chemotaxis. We establish the existence of a solution $u_\lambda$ which exhibits a sharp boundary layer along the entire boundary $\partial\Omega$ as $\lambda\to 0$. These solutions have large mass in the sense that $ \int_\Omega \lambda e^{u_\lambda} \sim |\log\lambda|.