Existence and boundary behavior for singular nonlinear differential equations with arbitrary boundary conditions

Existence theory is developed for the equation ?(u)=F(u), where ? is a formally self-adjoint singular second-order differential expression and F is nonlinear. The problem is treated in a Hilbert space and we do not require the operators induced by ? to have completely continuous resolvents. Nonlinear boundary conditions are allowed. Also, F is assumed to be weakly continuous and monotone at one point. Boundary behavior of functions associated with the domains of definitions of the operators associated with ? in the singular case is investigated. A special class of self-adjoint operators associated with ? is obtained.