The deficiency index of second-order matrix differential operators with rapidly oscillating coefficients (Q1589181)

Let \(I= [0,\infty]\), and let \(q_i(x)\), \(i= 0,1,2\), and \(q(x)\) be real valued functions the last three of which together with \(\{q_0(x)\}^{-1}\) are locally integrable over \(I\). Further, the differential expression \(\ell[y]\) is defined by \[ \ell[y]= -(Q_0(x) y')'+ Q(x) y,\tag{1} \] where \[ Q_0(x)= \begin{pmatrix} 0 & q_0(x)\\ q_0(x) & 0\end{pmatrix},\qquad Q(x)= \begin{pmatrix} q_1(x) & q(x)\\ q(x) & q_1(x)\end{pmatrix}. \] Also let \(L^2_2(I)\) denote the Hilbert space of complex valued vector functions \(y= (y_1(x), y_2(x))\) which are square integrable over \(I\). The author considers the minimal closed, symmetric operator -- denoted by \({\mathcal L}\) -- generated by the differential expression (1) over the Hilbert space. It is known that in the deficiency index \(\{N,N\}\) of the operator \({\mathcal L}\), the value of \(N\) may be \(2\), \(3\), \(4\) depending on the behaviour of the coefficients \(q_i\). In that, \(N\) equals the number of linearly independent solutions of the equation \(\ell[y]=\lambda y\), where \(\text{Im }\lambda\neq 0\) and for \(N= 4\), \(\lambda\) may be also real. In the present paper, the author gives some sufficient conditions on \(q_i\) and \(q\) such that (a) \(N\neq 2\), (b) \(N\neq 4\). This is illustrated by two examples in which the coefficients \(q_i(x)\) are of the form \(kx^a r(x^b)\) or \(me^{cx} r(e^{dx})\) and \(q(x)= 0(x)\), \(q(x)= 0(e^{\ell x})\), respectively, \(r\) stands for a positive periodic function and the occurring constants are some real numbers.