The spectral theory of second order two-point differential operators. II. Asymptotic expansions and the characteristic determinant (Q1338307)

[For part I see Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A 121, No. 3/4, 279-301 (1992; Zbl 0766.34059).] Asymptotic formulae are obtained for the solutions \(u(.; \rho)\), \(\upsilon(.; \rho)\) of the differential equation \(\rho^ 2 u+ u''- qu= 0\) on \([0,1]\) which are such that \(u(1; \rho)= e^{i\rho}\), \(u'(1; \rho)= i\rho e^{i\rho}\), \(\upsilon(0; \rho)= 1\), \(\upsilon'(0, \rho)= - i\rho\), as \(|\rho|\to \infty\) in the half-plane \(\text{Im }\rho\geq -d\), for any \(d> 0\). These solutions define the characteristic determinant \(\Delta(\rho)\) of the operator \(L\) in \(L^ 2(0, 1)\) generated by the differential expression \(\ell= -{d^ 2\over dt^ 2}+ q(t)\) and mixed linearly independent boundary conditions \(B_ i(u)= 0\) \((i= 1,2)\), and an asymptotic formula is derived for \(\Lambda(\rho)\) as \(|\rho|\to \infty\) in \(\text{Im }\rho\geq -d\) from those for \(u(t; \rho)\) and \(\upsilon(t; \rho)\) at \(t= 0,1\). The operator \(L\) has an eigenvalue at \(\lambda= \rho^ 2\) if and only if \(\Delta(\rho)= 0\), and the algebraic multiplicity of an eigenvalue \(\lambda= \rho^ 2\) is equal to the order of the zero \(\rho\) of \(\Delta(\rho)\).