Scattering theory: some old and new problems (Q1572626)

This book provides a modern survey of important problems of the mathematical scattering theory. The author discusses topics on: -- scattering theory of two-particle Schödinger operators (with short and long range perturbations) -- scattering matrix -- scattering theory of multiparticle Schödinger operators. The book fills a gap in the literature because it emphasizes the stationary approach to the scattering theory problems. In particular, the stationary approach to long-range scattering is almost not discussed in earlier books. The author considers two essentially different versions of the stationary approach. The first of them fits it in the general framework of smooth scattering theory and the second one relies on a preliminary construction of eigenfunctions of the continuous spectrum. Some results in the book are new. For example, it is proved that the principal symbol of \(S-I\) (considered as PDO), where \(S\) is the scattering matrix of \(-\Delta+V\), does not depend on \(V\). The proof of the absence of the singular continuous spectrum is new. Moreover, there is a discussion of the scattering by unbounded obstacles. An important part of the book is the discussion of open problems. A short version of this survey (based on the authors talk at ICM'98) was published in [Doc. Math., J. DMV, Extra Vol. ICM Berlin 1998, vol. III, 87-96 (1988; Zbl 0896.35097).