On the comparison of the \(m\)-th eigenvalue for the equation \(Ly+\lambda q(x)y=0\) (Q1178518)

The author studies the change in the eigenvalues corresponding to change in the coefficients for factorizable linear differential operators \(L\) of order \(n\): \(Ly(x)=p_ n(p_{n-1}\ldots(p_ 1(p_{\text{ö}}y)')'\ldots)'\), \(y(x)'\in C^ n[a,b]\), \(p_ i(x)>0\), \(p_ i(x)\in C^ m[a,b]\), \(m=\max\{i,n-i\}\), \(i=0,\ldots,n\). The eigenvalue problem (i) \(Ly+\lambda qy=0\), \(x\in(a,b)\), \(L_ iy(a)=0\), \(i\in\{i_ 1,\ldots,i_ k\}\), \(L_ jy(b)=0\), \(j\in \{j_ 1,\ldots,j_{n-k}\}\), \(0\leq i_ 1<\cdots<i_ k\leq n-1\), \(0\leq j_ 1<\cdots<j_{n-k}\leq n-1\), \(L_ 0y=p_ 0y\), \(L_ iy=p_ i(L_{i- 1}y)'\), \(i=1,\ldots,n\), is studied for various continuous functions \(q(x)\) which have constant sign. Suppose that \(\lambda_ m\), \(\mu_ m\) are the \(m\)-th eigenvalues of the system (i) corresponding to \(q=q_ 1(x)\), \(q=q_ 2(x)\) where \((-1)^{n-k}q_ 2\leq(-1)^{n-k}q_ 1<0\), \(x\in(c,d)\), \(q_ 1=q_ 2\), \(x\in(a,b)\backslash(c,d)\). Sufficient conditions are given such that \(\mu_ m<\lambda_ m\). The same result is derived under simpler conditions when \(k=n-1\). For \(L\) selfadjoint, \(n=2k\), \([c,d]=[a,b]\) the result reduces to the classical comparison theorem for eigenvalues.