摘要

In this paper, we make an exhaustive study of the third order linear operators u''' + Mu, u''' + Mu' and u''' + Mu '' coupled with (k, 3-k)-conjugate boundary conditions, where k = 1, 2. We obtain the optimal intervals on which the Green's functions are of one sign. The main tool is the disconjugacy theory. As an application of our results, we develop a monotone iteration method to obtain positive solutions of the nonlinear problem u''' + Mu '' + f(t, u) = 0, u(0) - u'(0) - u(1) - 0.