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Multiple nodal solutions having shared componentwise nodal numbers for coupled Schrödinger equations

We investigate the structure of nodal solutions for coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations in the repulsive coupling regime. Among other results, for the following coupled system of $N$ equations, we prove the existence of infinitely many nodal solutions which share the same componentwise-prescribed nodal numbers \begin{equation}\label{ab} \left\{ \begin{array}{lr} -Δu_{j}+λu_{j}=μu^{3}_{j}+\sum_{i\neq j}βu_{j}u_{i}^{2} \,\,\,\,\,\,\, in\ \W , u_{j}\in H_{0,r}^{1}(\W), \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,j=1,\dots,N, \end{array} \right. \end{equation} where $\W$ is a radial domain in $\mathbb R^n$ for $n\leq 3$, $λ>0$, $μ>0$, and $β<0$. More precisely, let $p$ be a prime factor of $N$ and write $N=pB$. Suppose $β\leq-\fracμ{p-1}$. Then for any given non-negative integers $P_{1},P_{2},\dots,P_{B}$, (\ref{ab}) has infinitely many solutions $(u_{1},\dots,u_{N})$ such that each of these solutions satisfies the same property: for $b=1,...,B$, $u_{pb-p+i}$ changes sign precisely $P_b$ times for $i=1,...,p$. The result reveals the complex nature of the solution structure in the repulsive coupling regime due to componentwise segregation of solutions. Our method is to combine a heat flow approach as deformation with a minimax construction of the symmetric mountain pass theorem using a $\mathbb Z_p$ group action index. Our method is robust, also allowing to give the existence of one solution without assuming any symmetry of the coupling.