On the similarity of \(J\)-selfadjoint differential operators of odd order to normal operators. (Q1810095)

Consider the operator \[ A=\frac{1}{w(x)}p\Big(-i\frac{d}{dx}\Big) \] in \(L^2(\mathbb{R})\), where \(w(x)\) is a real nonzero step-function with a finite number of steps, \[ p(z)=z^m+a_{m-1}z^{m-1}+\cdots+a_1z+a_0, \] \(m\) is odd and the \(a_j\)'s are real. It is proved that if \(w(x)\) takes both positive and negative values, then the operator \(A\) is not similar to a normal operator.