An algorithm for discontinuous inverse Sturm-Liouville problems with symmetric potentials (Q1824370)

Sturm-Liouville problems with different symmetric potentials and symmetric discontinuities satisfying different symmetric boundary and jump conditions are studied. Expressions are derived for the difference between the boundary constants and the difference between the potential functions for the equations \((1)\quad -u''+q(x)u=\lambda u\) and \((2)\quad -u''+\tilde q(x)u={\tilde \lambda}u,\) with boundary conditions \(hu(0)- u'(0)=0,\quad hu(\pi)+u'(\pi)=0,\) symmetric discontinuities at \(x=d_ 1\) and \(x=d_ 2=\pi -d_ 1\) and symmetric jump conditions \(u(d_ 1+)=au(d_ 1-),\) \(u'(d_ 1+)=a^{-1}u'(d_ 1-)+bu(d_ 1-),\) \(u(d_ 2-)=au(d_ 2+),\) \(u'(d_ 2-)=a^{-1}u'(d_ 2+)-bu(d_ 2+)\quad for\) (1) (and analogous discontinuities, boundary and jump conditions for (2)), when only a finite number of eigenvalues differ. The techniques by \textit{O. H. Hald} [Acta Math. 141, 263-291 (1978; Zbl 0431.34013)] and \textit{H. Hochstadt} [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 72, 2496-2497 (1975; Zbl 0307.34019)] are used. Then the discontinuous symmetric Sturm-Liouville problem with symmetric potentials is solved numerically. Six steps of the solution are outlined.