Existence of solutions for sub-linear or super-linear operator equations

We investigate solutions to superlinear or sublinear operator equations and obtain some abstract existence results by minimax methods. These results apply to superlinear or sublinear Hamiltonian systems satisfying several boundary value conditions including Sturm-Liouville boundary value conditions and generalized periodic boundary value conditions, and yield some new theorems concerning existence of solutions or nontrivial solutions. In particular, some famous results about periodic solutions to superlinear or sublinear Hamiltonian systems by Rabinowitz or Benci and Rabinowitz are special cases of the theorems.