Extremal values of eigenvalues of Sturm-Liouville operators with potentials in \(L^1\) balls (Q1024999)

Consider the Sturm-Liouville problem \[ x''+(\lambda+q(t))x=0 \text{ on } [0,1] \] with Dirichlet boundary conditions \(x(0)=x(1)=0\), where \(q\in L^p(0,1)\), \(1\leq p\leq\infty\) is real valued. It is well known that this problem has a strictly increasing sequence of eigenvalues \(\lambda_1(q)<\lambda_2(q)<\dots\), and the authors find exact bounds for the \(m^{\text{th}}\) eigenvalue. More precisely, let \(B_p[r]=\{q\in L^p([0,1],\mathbb R): \|q\|_p\leq r\}\), \(r\geq0\), and define \[ \mathbf{L}_{m,p}(r):=\inf\{\lambda_m(q):q\in B_q[r]\}, \quad \mathbf{M}_{m,p}(r):=\sup\{\lambda_m(q):q\in B_q[r]\}. \] A compactness argument shows that for \(p>1\) these numbers are finite and are attained. The finiteness of these numbers for \(p=1\) follows from a result by [\textit{M. Zhang}, J.\ Differential Equations 246, 4188--4220 (2009; Zbl 1178.34107)]. The authors prove the following formulas for \(\mathbf{L}_{m,p}(r)\) and \(\mathbf{M}_{m,p}(r)\). \(\mathbf{L}_{m,p}(r)=R_m^{-1}\circ \mathbf{L}_{1,p}(r) \circ R_m(r)\), where \(R_m(x)=x/m^2\). For \(p=1\), \(\mathbf{L}_{1,1}(r)=\mathbf Z_1^{-1}(r)\), where \(\mathbf Z_1\) is a decreasing diffeomorphism from \((-\infty,\pi^2]\) onto \([0,\infty)\) which is given by \(\mathbf Z_1(t)=2\sqrt{x}\cot(\sqrt{x}/2)\) for \(t\neq0\). Similarly, \(\mathbf{M}_{m,p}(r)=R_m^{-1}\circ \mathbf{M}_{1,p}(r)\circ R_m(r)\). For \(p=1\), \(\mathbf{M}_{1,1}(r)=\mathbf Y_1(r)\), where \(\mathbf Y_1\) is an increasing diffeomorphism from \([0,\infty)\) onto \([\pi^2,\infty)\) which is given by \(\mathbf Y_1(t)=\dfrac14(\pi+\sqrt{\pi^2+4x})^2\).