A criterion for instability of systems of linear equations (Q1107710)

Consider the linear operator \(L=A(x)dx-dx\) 2, \(dx=d/dx\) where A(x) be a periodic \(m\times m\) matrix with period 1: \(A(x+1)=A(x)\). If L has a negative spectrum in \(L_ 2(R')\); then the operator is said to be unstable. The author obtains a simple criterion for such instability under the assumption that the matrix \(i<P*A>\) has an eigenvalue with nonzero real part, where P(x) is an \(m\times m\) matrix satisfying the equation \(d_ x(A*P)+dx\) \(2P=0\).