Dual variational formulas for the first Dirichlet eigenvalue on half-line (Q2386524)

Consider the differential operator \(L=a(x)d^2/dx^2+b(x)d/dx\) on an interval \((p,q)\), \(-\infty<p<q\leq+\infty\), where \(a(x)>0\), with Dirichlet boundary conditions at \(p\) and \(q\). It is assumed that \(\int_p^q\exp C(x)/a(x)\,dx<\infty\) and \(\int_p^q\exp(-C(x))\,dx<\infty\) with \(C(x)=\int_p^xb(x)/a(x)\,dx\). The authors obtain a variational formula and some explicit bounds for the first eigenvalue of this problem depending only on the coefficients of the operator. The method for obtaining these results is to insert a point \(x_0\in(p,q)\) and to consider mixed eigenvalue problems for the operator \(L\) on intervals \((p,x_0)\) and \((x_0,q)\). Some results on higher-order eigenvalues are also presented. The second part of the paper treats a discrete version of the problem.