On the Fučik spectrum with indefinite weights (Q1848351)

If \(p,q,m\in C[T_1,T_2]\) are real-valued with \(p>0\), \(q\geq 0\), \(m,n\not\equiv 0\) on \([T_1,T_2]\) and \(Ly=-(pu')'+qu\), \(u(T_1)=u(T_2)=0\), then the Fučik spectrum \(\Sigma \) is defined as the set of all pairs \((a,b)\in \mathbb R\times \mathbb R\) such that there is \(u\not\equiv 0\) with \(Lu=amu^+-bmu^-.\) In the case \(m=n\), eigenvalues \(\lambda \) of \(Lu\) lead to points \((\lambda ,\lambda)\) in the Fučik spectrum, and the whole Fučik spectrum consists of curves through these points. In the case that \(m=n\) is positive, it is well known that the Fučik spectrum lies on two lines \(\lambda _1\times \mathbb R\), \(\mathbb R\times \lambda _1\) and infinitely many curves in \(\mathbb R^+\times \mathbb R^+\). In case \(m\) changes sign, it is shown in this paper that in \(\Sigma \) there are also curves in \(\mathbb R^-\times \mathbb R^+\) and \(\mathbb R^+\times \mathbb R^-\). In the case \(m\neq n\) the behavior changes quite substantially. The number of curves in \(\Sigma \) in each quadrant is odd or \(\infty \), and it is shown that each combination of odd numbers and \(\infty \) can occur for the curve count in the four quadrants.