Steklov–Neumann eigenproblems and nonlinear elliptic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions

We study the solvability of nonlinear second order elliptic partial differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. We introduce the notion of “eigenvalue-lines” in the plane; these eigenvalue-lines join each Steklov eigenvalue to the first eigenvalue of the Neumann problem with homogeneous boundary condition. We prove existence results when the nonlinearities involved asymptotically stay, in some sense, below the first eigenvalue-lines or in a quadrilateral region (depicted in Fig. 1) enclosed by two consecutive eigenvalue-lines. As a special case we derive the so-called nonresonance results below the first Steklov eigenvalue as well as between two consecutive Steklov eigenvalues. The case in which the eigenvalue-lines join each Neumann eigenvalue to the first Steklov eigenvalue is also considered. Our method of proof is variational and relies mainly on minimax methods in critical point theory.