Separation theorems for nonselfadjoint differential systems (Q1209565)

The author gives conditions that identify certain solutions of the system of differential equations \(x^{(n)}-(-1)^{n-k} q(t)x=0\) that must have at least one component that vanishes on \([a,b]\). Here \(n\geq 2\), \(k\) is an integer with \(1\leq k\leq n-1\) and \(q(t)\) is an \(m\times m\) matrix of functions continuous on the interval \([a,b]\). The key condition imposed upon \(q\) is the ``positivity'' condition \(q(t): K\to K\) for all \(t\in [a,b]\), where \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^ m\) is the cone defined by \(K=\{(x_ 1,\dots,x_ m)\); \(i\in I\Rightarrow x_ i\geq 0\). \(i\in J\Rightarrow x_ i\leq 0\}\) and \(I\cup J=\{1,\dots,m\}\) \(I\cap J=\emptyset\). The results are new even for second order selfadjoint systems and for the general scalar equation.