The basis problem of the eigenfunctions of ordinary differential operators with integral boundary conditions (Q1058642)

The operator \({\mathcal L}\) in \(L_ 2[0,1]\) is generated by the ordinary differential expression (1) \(\ell (y)=y^{(n)}+p_ 2y^{(n- 2)}+...+p_ ny\) and the boundary conditions (2) \(U_ j(y)=\sum^{\kappa_ j}_{k=0}\int^{1}_{0}y^{(k)}(x)d\sigma_{jk}(x)=0\) \((j=1,...,n)\) where the \(p_{\nu}\) \((\nu =2,...,n)\) are summable functions, the \(\sigma_{jk}\) are of bounded variation, \(\kappa_ j<n-1\) \((j=1,...,n)\). For a suitable fundamental system \(y_ 1(x,\lambda),...,y_ n(x,\lambda)\) of \(\ell (y)-\lambda^ ny=0\), \(\Delta (\lambda):=\det \| U_ j(y_ k)\|^ n_{j,k=1}.\) The boundary conditions (2) are called regular if for all \(\epsilon >0\) there is a \(c>0\) such that for all \(\lambda\in {\mathbb{C}}\) outside circles of radius \(\epsilon\) with centers at the zeros of \(\Delta\) the estimate \(| \Delta (\lambda)| \geq c| \Delta_ 0(\lambda)|\) holds, where \(\Delta_ 0(\lambda)=\lambda^{\kappa}\Sigma \exp (\Omega_ k\lambda)\), \(\omega_ k=\exp (2\pi ik/n)\), \(\Omega_{k+1}=(\omega_ 1+...+\omega_ m)\exp (2\pi ik/n)\) \((k=0,...,n-1)\) if \(n=2m\), \(\Omega_{k+1}=(\omega_ 1+...+\omega_{m-1})\exp (\pi ik/n)\) \((k=0,...,2n-1)\) if \(n=2m-1\). The author states: Lemma. The boundary conditions (2) are regular iff the boundary conditions \[ V_ j(y)=\sum^{\kappa_ j}_{k=0}(\sigma_{kj}(0+)-\sigma_{kj}(0- ))y^{(k)}(0)+(\sigma_{kj}(1+)-\sigma_{kj}(1-))y^{(k)}(1)=0\quad (j=1,...,n) \] are regular in Birkhoff's sense. The main result is the expansion theorem: The characteristic and associated functions of the operator \({\mathcal L}\) with regular boundary conditions (2) form a Riesz basis with parentheses in the space \(L_ 2[0,1]\).