Positive solubility of some classes of non-linear integral equations of Hammerstein type on the semi-axis and on the whole line

We study certain classes of non-linear Hammerstein integral equations on the semi-axis and the whole line. These classes of equations arise in the theory of radiative transfer in nuclear reactors, in the kinetic theory of gases, and for travelling waves in non-linear Richer competition systems. By combining special iteration methods with the methods of construction of invariant cone segments for the appropriate non-linear operator, we are able to prove constructive existence theorems for positive solutions in various function spaces. We give illustrative examples of equations satisfying all the hypotheses of our theorems.