An elliptic boundary value problem depending nonlinearly upon the eigenvalue parameter (Q1191489)

This paper is concerned with ``formal'', self-adjoint, elliptic boundary value problems of the form: \[ Lv=(\lambda+q(u-\lambda)^{-1})v \quad\text{ in } \quad\Omega,\quad B_ jv=0\quad \text{ on } \quad\partial\Omega,\quad j=1,\dots,m \tag{1} \] where \(L\) is a linear elliptic operator of order \(2m\), defined on a bounded region \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^ n\) \((n\geq 2)\), of class \(C^ m\), the \(B_ j\) are linear differential operators defined on \(\partial\Omega,q\) and \(u\) are complex valued functions in \(L^ \infty(\Omega)\). Let \(U\) (resp. \(Q)\) denote the operator of multiplication in \(H=L^ 2(\Omega)\), induced by \(u\) (resp. \(q)\), \(\rho(U)\) be the complement in \(\mathbb{C}\) of the essential range of \(u\). Let \(A\) denote the usual operator in \(H\), associated to problem (1). The authors introduce the operator-valued, holomorphic function of \(\lambda\): \[ T(\lambda)=A-\lambda I-Q(U-\lambda I)^{-1},\qquad \lambda\in\rho(U), \] and the operator \(S={A\;I\brack Q\;U}\) in \(H\times H\), with domain \(D(A)\times H\), and establish spectral properties of \(T(\lambda)\) and \(S\). A refinement of the results, for the case when \(q\) and \(u\) are real valued, is given. Similar investigations have been done, in the case of ordinary differential equations [\textit{E. P. Bogomolova}, Differ. Uravn. 21, 1843- 1849 (1985; Zbl 0658.34017), and \textit{H. Langer}, \textit{R. Mennicken} and \textit{M. Möller}, Integral Equations Operator Theory (to appear)].