Degenerate boundary conditions for the diffusion operator on a geometric graph (Q2185383)

The paper is a small modification of the paper by the same authors [Dokl. Math. 99, No. 2, 167--170; translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk, Ross. Akad. Nauk 485, No. 3, 272--275 (2019, Zbl 1422.34120)]; the main difference is the form of the operator. In the current paper the damped wave equation \[ y_i''+(\lambda^2-2\lambda p_i(x)-q_i(x))y_i = 0 \] is considered (the previous paper studied the equation \(-y_i''+q_i(x)y_i = s^2 y_i\)). The shape of the graph, the coupling conditions, the results and the structure of both papers are the same or very similar. However, the mentioned paper is not cited in the current paper. The graph consisting of three edges of lengths \(\ell_i\), \(i = 1, 2, 3\), connected at both endpoinds is considered. At one endpoint the Kirchhoff's coupling condition is prescribed, at the second endpoint the coupling condition \[ a_{i1} y_1(\ell_1)+a_{i2} y_2(\ell_2)+a_{i3} y_3(\ell_3)+a_{i4} y_1'(\ell_1)+a_{i5} y_2'(\ell_2)+a_{i6} y_3'(\ell_3)= 0, \quad i = 1, 2, 3\,. \] with complex constants \(a_{ij}\) is considered. The authors prove that, if the edge lenghts are pairwise different, then the coupling conditions are never degenerate (degenerate coupling conditions mean that the spectrum is either empty or the whole \(\mathbb{C}\)). On the other hand, if all the edge lengths are equal and the potentials \(p_i(x) = p(x)\) and \(q_i(x) = q(x)\) are the same and symmetric, the coupling conditions are degenerate in infinitely many cases.