On the spectrum of a multipoint boundary value problem for a fourth-order equation (Q309819): Difference between revisions

The paper is concerned with the spectrum of a multipoint boundary value problem of a fourth order equation that models small deformations of a chain of rigidity connected rods with elastic support. More precisely, let \(\Gamma=(a,b)/\{a_i\}_{i=1}^n\) and let \(L_{\delta_1,\dots,\delta_n}\) be the differential operator defined by \[ L_{\delta_1,\dots,\delta_n}u := (pu'')''-(qu')'=\lambda u \qquad (x \in \Gamma) \] for \(p \in C^2(\Gamma)\), \(q \in C^1(\Gamma)\) and \(p>0\), \(q \geq 0\) with the boundary conditions \[ \begin{gathered} u(a) + \alpha(a) Du(a) = 0, \quad \beta(a)u''(a) - \gamma(a) u'(a) =0, \\ u(b) - \alpha(b) Du(b) = 0, \quad \beta(b)u''(b) + \gamma(b) u'(b) =0, \end{gathered} \] where \(Du=(pu'')' - q u'\) and \(\alpha, \beta, \gamma\) are positive functions with \(\beta+\gamma \neq 0\). The following matching conditions are also imposed \[ \begin{gathered} u(a_i-0) - u(a_i+0)=0, \\ u'(a_i-0)-u'(a_i+0)=0, \\ (pu'')(a_i-0) -(pu'')(a_i+0) =0, \\ Du(a_i-0)-Du(a_i+0)-\delta_iu(a_i)=0. \end{gathered} \] The non-negative numbers \(\delta_i\) specify the elasticity of the support. In the main result of the paper, the author obtains a separation result for the eigenvalues \(\lambda_j(\delta_1,\dots,\delta_n)\) of \(L_{\delta_1,\dots,\delta_n}\). First, the author considers the simpler situation of a single elastic support, say \(\delta_1=\delta>0\) and \(\delta_i=0\) for \(i=2,\dots,n\). In that case, the spectrum \(\Lambda_\delta\) of \(L_\delta\) consists of infinitely many real eigenvalues with no finite accumulation point. For \(0 \leq \delta<\delta' \leq \infty\), the author first proves that the spectra \(\Lambda_{\delta}\) and \(\Lambda_{\delta'} \) interlace, i.e. \[ \lambda_j(\delta) \leq \lambda_j(\delta') \leq \lambda_{j+1}(\delta) \qquad (j=0,1,2,\dots). \] This result easily extends to the more general case of several elastic supports, namely \[ \lambda_j(\delta_{i_1},\dots,\delta_{i_m}) \leq \lambda_j(\delta_{i_1},\dots,\delta_{i_{m-1}}, \delta_{i_m'}) \leq \lambda_{j+1} (\delta_{i_1},\dots,\delta_{i_m}) \qquad (j=0,1,2,\dots) \] for \(0 \leq \delta_{i_m} \leq \delta_{i_m}' \leq \infty\). The proofs of these results are based on a series of several interesting lemmas about the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the operator \(L_{\delta_1,\dots,\delta_n}\).