Asymptotics of eigenvalues for Sturm-Liouville problems with an interior singularity (Q1345307)

The differential equation \(- y''(x)+ q(x) y(x)= \lambda y(x)\) (\(-\infty< a< x< b< \infty\)) with spectral parameter \(\lambda\) is considered. It is supposed that \(q\in L_{\text{loc}}[a, 0)\oplus L_{\text{loc}} (0, b]\) and this function has some singularity at 0. The functions \(q(x)= x^{-k}\) where \(k\in [1,2]\) are principle examples of considered functions. Oscillation properties of the solutions are investigated and the results are applied to describe the asymptotics of the eigenvalues \(\lambda_ n\) (for large numbers \(n\)) of boundary value problems (Dirichlet and Neumann type). The main tool of investigation is the modified Prüfer transformation which reduces the equation to a nonlinear first order differential equation for a generalized phase function of \(y\).