Derivation of the Korteweg-de Vries equation for an operator with a mixed spectrum (Q1065224)

Hill's equation (1) \(y''+[\lambda -q(t)]y=0\), with a \(\pi\)-periodic potential function q(t) is considered. The discriminant of (1) is given by \(\Delta (\lambda)=y_ 1(\pi)+y'_ 2(\pi)\) where \(y_ 1\) and \(y_ 2\) are the solutions of (1) which satisfy \(y_ 1(0)=y'_ 2(0)=1\), \(y'_ 1(0)=y_ 2=0\). The values of \(\lambda\) for which \(\Delta (\lambda)=\pm 2\) are denoted by \(\{\lambda_ i\}_ 0^{\infty}\) and it is shown that \[ \lambda_ 0<\lambda_ 1\leq \lambda_ 2<\lambda_ 3\leq \lambda_ 4<...<\lambda_{2k-1}\leq \lambda_{2k}<.... \] Intervals of the form \((\lambda_{2k-1},\lambda_{2k})\) and \((- \infty,\lambda_ 0)\) are called instability intervals. Goldberg and Lax showed that all but n of the finite instability intervals of (1) will vanish if and only if the potential function q(t) satisfies the 2n-order Korteweg-de Vries equation (2) \(\sum^{n+1}_{k=0}C_ kS_ k(t)=0\), where \(C_ k\) is constant and \(S_ k(t)\) is generated by \(S_ 0=1\), \(S'_{k+1}=-(1/4)S_ k'''+qS'_ k+(1/2)q'S_ k.\) In a previous paper the authors have shown that when n finite instability intervals of (1) fail to vanish, specification of the endpoints of these nonvanishing intervals together with the point spectrum \(\{\mu_ k\}^ n_ 1\) of (4) \(L_ y=-y''+q(t)y,\) (5) \(y(0)=0\), \(y'(0)=1\), leads to a unique construction of q(t). There it was also shown that q(t) can be constructed uniquely if \(\{v_ k\}^ n_ 1\), the point spectrum of (4) with boundary conditions (6) \(y(0)=\cos \alpha\), \(y'(0)=\sin \alpha\), \(\alpha\) \(\neq \pi /2\), is specified together with \(\{\lambda_{2k}\}_ 0^{2n}\). In the present paper it is shown that the potentials constructed in the above mentioned paper must satisfy the appropriate Korteweg-de Vries equation (2) whether or not \(\alpha =\pi /2\). An additional derivation of (2) which clearly identifies the constants \(C_ k\) in terms of the \(\lambda_ k\) is also offered.