Eigenvalue accumulation for singular Sturm-Liouville problems nonlinear in the spectral parameter (Q1970034)

Sturm-Liouville problems of the form \[ -(r(x;\lambda)f'(x))'+p(x;\lambda)=0 \] are considered, where the coefficient functions \(r\) and \(p\) are real-valued functions depending continuously on the eigenvalue parameter \(\lambda \) in an interval \(\Lambda \). If these problems have a nonempty essential spectrum, eigenvalues may or may not accumulate at points in the essential spectrum. In this paper, characterizations of accumulation points of eigenvalues in \(\Lambda =(\mu,\nu]\) are given. It is shown that if the problem is oscillatory at \(\nu\), then \(\nu\) is an accumulation point of eigenvalues. If certain monotonicity conditions are satisfied, it is shown that points in \((\mu,\nu]\) are no accumulation points of eigenvalues, and if additionally the Sturm-Liouville equation is nonoscillatory at \(\nu\), then also \(\nu\) is not an accumulation point of eigenvalues. Several examples are considered in which the eigenvalues can be calculated explicitly so as to confirm the general results. Finally, five physical applications are considered, and in each of them the differential equation for which oscillation has to be investigated is given explicitly. For particular classes of potentials, definite characterizations are given. For the radial Schrödinger operator, the known results on eigenvalue accumulation are confirmed. The results on the Dirac operator, which have been obtained by \textit{M. Griesemer} and \textit{J. Lutgen} [J. Funct. Anal. 162, No. 1, 120-134 (1999; Zbl 0926.34074)] are summarized. New results are obtained for the Klein-Gordon equation, a model of certain processes in polymerization chemistry, and the linearized MHD equations for small plasma oscillations for a model of oscillations of a hot compressible gravitating semi-infinite plasma layer in an ambient magnetic field.