A note on the Schrödinger operator with a long-range potential (Q2011189)

The paper describes the spectral and scattering properties of the half-line Sturm-Liouville operator with a long-range potential. It is known [the author, Mathematical scattering theory: analytic theory. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (2010; Zbl 1197.35006)] for a Schrödinger operator \(-\frac{\mathrm{d}^2}{\mathrm{d}x^2}+q(x)\) in \(L^2(\mathbb{R}_+)\) with some boundary condition at \(x=0\) that if the potential is short-range (\(q\in L^1(\mathbb{R}_+)\)), Jost solutions can be constructed and the positive spectrum of this operator is absolutely continuous. In the long-range case (\(q\not \in L^1(\mathbb{R}_+)\)) the Jost solutions can be redefined under some conditions on \(q'\) and \(q''\) and the so-called Green-Liouville ansatz can be used (see [\textit{V. B. Matveev} and \textit{M. M. Skriganov}, ``Scattering problem for radial Schrödinger equation with a slowly decreasing potential'', Theor. Math. Phys. 10, 156--164 (1972; \url{doi:10.1007/BF01090727})], [the author, Commun. Math. Phys. 85, 177--196 (1982; Zbl 0509.35065)]). In the current paper, the author considers a more general operator acting as \(H = - \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x}p(x)\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x}+q(x)\). The Dirichlet condition \(f(0)=0\) and the Robin condition \(f'(0) = h f(0)\), \(h\in \mathbb{R}\) are investigated. He develops a consistent theory for the long-range case by prescribing conditions only on the first derivative of the potential, not on the second derivative. The following assumptions are used: \(p(x)>0\), \(q(x)\in\mathbb{R}\), \(p(x)\) is absolutely continuous for \(x\in\mathbb{R}_+\), \(q(x)\) is absolutely continuous for \(x\geq x_0\), \(q\in L^1(0,x_0)\), \(p'\in L^1(\mathbb{R}_+)\), \(q'\in L^1(x_0,\infty)\), \(\lim_{x\to \infty} p(x) = p_0>0\), \(\lim_{x\to \infty} q(x) = 0\). The Jost solutions are constructed using a modified Green-Liouville ansatz and a Volterra integral equation. The differential operator is properly defined and properties of its resolvent are investigated. As a corollary, the author finds that the positive spectrum of \(H\) is absolutely continuous. Wave operators are also constructed. Moreover, the problem on the whole real line is briefly studied with a similar result on the positive spectrum.