Theory of a higher-order Sturm-Liouville equation (Q1362459)

The monograph deals with the differential equation \[ (\partial_t+k_+)^{m_+}(-\partial_t- k_-)^{m_-}w(t)-\omega(t)w(t)=f(t), \] where \(k_+>k_-\) are real numbers, \(m_+\), \(m_-\) are positive integers, and \(\omega\) is a non-negative locally summable function. The case of the real line, the positive semi-axis, and a bounded interval are considered. At a finite endpoint, boundary conditions are required, and if \(-\infty\) or \(\infty\) are endpoints, asymptotic estimates are required. It is first shown that the differential equation with the above conditions and \(\omega=0\) has a unique Green's function \(g\), and in the case of unbounded intervals \(g\) is explicitly given. The Green's function is then used to show that the inhomogeneous equation is uniquely solvable for locally integrable functions satisfying a suitable asymptotic estimate, where also the solution has to satisfy a certain estimate. For the real line, these estimates are \[ \int_{-\infty}^0e^{k_+\tau}(1+|\tau|)^{m_+-1}|f(\tau)|d\tau<\infty,\;\int_0^\infty e^{k_-\tau}(1+|\tau|)^{m_--1}|f(\tau)|d\tau<\infty, \] and \(\liminf_{t\to\pm\infty}e^{k\mp t}|w(t)|=0\). Further asymptotic estimates for \(w\) are shown if \(f\) satisfies additional conditions. The Green's function \(g\) for \(\omega=0\) is used to obtain the Green's function \(g_\omega\) in the general case \(\omega\neq 0\). Here \(g_\omega\) is an infinite series in iterated convolutions of \(g\) and \(\omega\). Several estimates and other properties of \(g_\omega\) are shown. Again, existence and uniqueness of the solution of the differential equation are shown subject to some asymptotic or boundary conditions. Sharper estimates are obtained in the cases where \(\omega\) is a constant, summable, or a power of \(t\) for large \(t\). It is shown that the homogeneous equation has a solution of the form \(u(t)=e^{-k_+t}t^\sigma(1+o(t^{-\kappa}))\) as \(t\to\infty\) for integers \(\sigma\), \(\kappa\) such that \(0\leq\kappa\leq\sigma\leq m_+-1\) if and only if \(\int^\infty\tau^{m_++\kappa-1}\omega(\tau)d\tau<\infty\). In an appendix the authors show how their results can be applied to obtain for example a priori estimates for solutions of partial differential equations.