For $s_1,\,s_2\in (0,\,1)$
and $p,\,q \in (1,\, \infty )$
, we study the following nonlinear Dirichlet eigenvalue problem with parameters $\alpha,\, \beta \in \mathbb {R}$
driven by the sum of two nonlocal operators:\[ (-\Delta)^{s_1}_p u+(-\Delta)^{s_2}_q u=\alpha|u|^{p-2}u+\beta|u|^{q-2}u\ \text{in }\Omega, \quad u=0\ \text{in } \mathbb{R}^d \setminus \Omega, \quad \mathrm{(P)} \]![](//static-cambridge-org.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/binary/version/id/urn:cambridge.org:id:binary:20240203145619764-0454:S0308210523001348:S0308210523001348_eqnU1.png)
where $\Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^d$
is a bounded open set. Depending on the values of $\alpha,\,\beta$
, we completely describe the existence and non-existence of positive solutions to (P). We construct a continuous threshold curve in the two-dimensional $(\alpha,\, \beta )$
-plane, which separates the regions of the existence and non-existence of positive solutions. In addition, we prove that the first Dirichlet eigenfunctions of the fractional $p$
-Laplace and fractional $q$
-Laplace operators are linearly independent, which plays an essential role in the formation of the curve. Furthermore, we establish that every nonnegative solution of (P) is globally bounded.