Singular ordinary differential operators and pseudodifferential equations (Q1062001)

Solving various problems in physics and engineering leads to linear (ordinary or partially) differential equations whose coefficient of the highest derivative vanishes at certain points. Such equations are called singular and it is these which are discussed in this book. The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 ''Fuchsian differential operators with one singular point'' is rather of a preparatory character and serves as an illustration of typical methods and results in the theory of singular ordinary differential equations. There is considered the Fuchsian differential operator \[ A=x^{\ell}D^{\ell}+\sum^{\ell -1}_{i=0}a_ i(x)D^ i,\quad D=d/dx. \] In chapter 2 ''Linear ordinary differential operators with one singular point'' there is considered a differential operator of the form \[ (1)\quad A=\sum^{\ell}_{i=0}a_ i(x)D^ i,\quad a_{\ell}(x)=x^ p\bar a_{\ell}(x),\quad p\in N, \] \(a_{\ell}(x)\neq 0\) for \(x\in [a,b]\), \(0\in [a,b]\). There is given a general index formula for operator (1) in the space of infinitely differentiable functions and in weighted \(L_ p\)-spaces on [0,b]. Furthermore there are studied kernel, range, normal solvability in weighted Sobolev spaces of operator (1), as well as its index in the space of distributions. Chapter 3 ''Linear ordinary differential operators with several singular points'' investigates the index of differential operators with a finite number of singularities on an interval of the real axis which may be infinite. Using a local principle the computation of the index is reduced to the case of one singularity. Chapter 4 ''Elliptic differential operators in \(R^ n\) degenerating at one point'' is devoted to some examples of elliptic partial differential operators which degenerate at the origin. There are studied local solvability as well as normal solvability and index in Sobolev spaces of the given operators. Chapter 5 ''Degenerate pseudodifferential operators (PDOs) on a closed curve'' deals with PDOs on a simple closed \(C^{\infty}\) curve in the complex plane. Applying a priori estimates based on Melin's inequality enables to study Fredholm property and index in Sobolev spaces and in \(C^{\infty}\) for a class of PDOs. The final chapter ''A finite element method for pseudo-differential equations (PDEs) on a closed curve'' deals with the Galerkin method in using the smoothest polynomial splines as trial functions for the approximate solution of PDEs on a closed curve. Applying Melin's inequality there are given new results on convergence and error analysis of Galerkin's method for a class of PDOs which are not strongly elliptic and may degenerate. The book is written carefully and will give much pleasure to readers dealing with the problems under consideration. The reader is required to be familiar with linear functional analysis and well versed in elliptic differential operators on manifolds.