Sturm-Liouville problems with transfer condition Herglotz dependent on the eigenparameter: eigenvalue asymptotics (Q2030076)

Let \(q\in L^2(-a,b)\). The authors consider the eigenvalue problem \[-y^{\prime\prime}+qy=\lambda y\text{ on }(-a,0)\cup(0,b),\] imposing normal boundary conditions at \(-a\) and \(b\) and a transmission condition at 0 which depends rationally on the eigenvalue parameter \(\lambda\). In an earlier paper with the same leading title \textit{C. Bartels} et al. [Integral Equations Oper. Theory 90, No. 3, Paper No. 34, 20 p. (2018; Zbl 1409.34035)] they had shown that this problem gives rise to a self-adjoint operator \(L\) with a compact resolvent in a suitable Hilbert space. Moreover, they had found necessary and sufficient conditions for the multiplicity of an eigenvalue. Here they give, up to the order \(1/n\), an explicit expression for \(\sqrt{\lambda_n}\), the root of the \(n\) plus first eigenvalue when \(n\) is large. To this end they show that the solution \(u_-\) on \([-a,0)\) which satisfies the boundary condition at \(-a\) and the solution \(v_+\) on \((0, b]\) with boundary condition at \(b\) can be modified and joined to produce an entire function \(\omega (\lambda)\) the zeros of which are precisely the eigenvalues of \(L\) (Theorem 2.1). To describe the asymptotic behaviour of \(\omega (\lambda)\) and of \(u_-\) and \(v_+\) six cases have to be distinguished for the parameters in the transmission condition. The results are meticulously tabulated in Theorems 4.1 and 5.1.The desired eigenvalue asymptotics then follows with the help of Rouche's theorem (Theorem 3.1 and Appendix 3). Here the simplifying assumption is made that \(a/b\) is a rational number.