Inhomogeneous quadratic functionals on time scales (Q5927580)

The author discusses the positivity of inhomogeneous quadratic functionals on general time scales of the form \[ {\mathcal F}(x,u):=\int^b_a\{u^TBu-(x^\sigma)^TCx^\sigma\}_t\Delta t+\left(\begin{smallmatrix} -x_a\\x_b\end{smallmatrix}\right)^T S\left(\begin{smallmatrix} -x_a\\x_b\end{smallmatrix}\right), \] where \(S\), \(R\) are real \(2n\times 2n\)-matrices with \(S\) symmetric and \((x, u)\) denotes an admissible pair of the linear Hamiltonian system \[ x^\Delta=A_tx^\sigma+B_tu,\quad u^\Delta=-C_tx^\sigma-A^T_t u,\quad t\in[a,b]^\kappa\quad (\kappa-\text{operator)},\tag{H} \] \(A,B,C\) are real right hand side continuous \(n\times n\)-matrix-valued functions, \(B,C\) are symmetric and \(I-\mu A\) is nonsingular, here for a function \(f\) defined on a time scale we write \(f_t:= f(t)\) and \(f^\sigma :=f\circ\sigma\). If \({\mathcal F}(x,u)>0\) holds for all admissible pairs \((x, u)\) with \(x\not\equiv 0\) and \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} -x_a\\x_b\end{smallmatrix}\right)\in\text{Im }R^T\), then it is called positive definite. A sufficient condition for \({\mathcal F}(x, u)\) to be positive definite is proved in Theorem 1 under the condition that the system (H) is disconjugate. The main tool used is a generalized Picone identity on time scales given by the same author in [Math. Comput. Modelling 32, No.~5-6, 507-527 (2000; Zbl 0982.37054)] and the special case of Theorem 1 when \(S=0=R\) had been studied therein. The inverse of Theorem 1 is proposed as an open problem.