Scattering theory for Schrödinger operators on steplike, almost periodic infinite-gap backgrounds (Q1939309): Difference between revisions

The paper presents a complete analysis of the direct and inverse scattering theory of the Schrödinger operator \[ L=-d^2 / dx^2 + p(x), \] acting on the (full) real line, where the potential \(p(x)\) is steplike with respect to two background potentials \(p_-(x)\) and \(p_+(x)\), which determine the behavior of \(p\) at \(-\infty\) and \(+\infty\), respectively. The background Schrödinger operators \[ L_{\pm} = -d^2 / dx^2 + p_{\pm} (x) \] are assume to belong to the so-called Levitan class. Roughly speaking, \(p_-(x)\) and \(p_+(x)\) can be periodic (with not necessarily the same period) or even Bohr almost periodic of very special form. After summarizing the basic properties of the background operators \(L_{\pm}\), the paper describes the scattering theory of \(L\) and finishes with the solution of the inverse scattering problem. From the scattering data (assuming that the background \( p_{\pm} (x)\) is known) one constructs the function \(F_{\pm} (x, y)\) via formula (4.14). Then the Gel'fand-Levitan-Marchenko (GLM) equation (4.13) yields the kernel \(K_{\pm} (x, y)\) of the transformation operator, from which, via (3.3), one recovers \(L\). A characterization of the scattering data is also given (Theorem 4.8). The paper is well written and very informative.