On a class of anisotropic asymptotically periodic Hamiltonians (Q1600190)

From the abridged French version: ``Consider the self-adjoint operator \(H=-\Delta+V\) in \(\mathcal H=L^2(\mathbb R)\), where \(V\) is the operator of multiplication by an asymptotically periodic function with different periods at \(\pm\infty\).'' And then: ``The general idea is to construct a \(C^{*}\)-algebra \(\mathfrak C\) whose quotient by the algebra of compact operators can be calculated, and such that the operators that we want to study are affiliated with it. In the present case, \(\mathfrak C\) is obtained, using the notion of crossed product, from a \(C^{*}\)-algebra \(\mathcal C\) suggested by the class of functions \(V\). Our goal is to determine the largest class of Hamiltonians \(H\) associated with \(\mathfrak C\). This makes it possible to study the essential spectrum or the Mourre estimate in a unified way. Consider now the following \(C^{*}\)-algebra \(\mathcal C\) suggested by an anisotropic situation: \[ \mathcal C=\{f\in C_{bu} (\mathbb R)\colon \;\lim_{n\to\pm\infty}f(x+na_{\pm})\text{ exist for all }x\in\mathbb R\}, \] where \(C_{bu}(\mathbb R)=\{f\colon \mathbb R\to\mathbb C; f\) is bounded and uniformly continuous\(\}\), \(n\in\mathbb Z\) and \((a_+,a_-)\in\mathbb R^{*}_+\times\mathbb R^{*}_+\).'' The author shows how to calculate \(\mathcal C/C_0(\mathbb R)\) and writes: ``Let \(\mathfrak C\) denote the \(C^{*}\)-algebra \(\mathcal C\rtimes\mathbb R\) (crossed product of \(\mathcal C\) by the action of the additive group \(\mathbb R\)). Then we have \[ \mathfrak C/K(L^2(\mathbb R))\cong(\mathcal C\rtimes\mathbb R)/(C_0(\mathbb R)\rtimes \mathbb R)\cong(\mathcal C/C_0(\mathbb R))\rtimes\mathbb R.\text{''} \] He characterizes the \(C^{*}\)-algebra \(\mathfrak C\) and the operators affiliated with \(\mathfrak C\), then shows a way of calculating the essential spectrum of such operators and gives a specific example where his theorems apply.