Spectral analysis of indefinite Sturm-Liouville operators (Q2258224)

Consider the operator \(A := \frac{\text{sgn} (x)}{w(x)} (- \frac{d^2}{dx^2} + q(x))\) on \((-b,b)\) with \(0<b \leq \infty\) and real coefficients \(w, q \in L^1_{loc}(-b,b)\) satisfying \(w(x) > 0\) a.e. If the differential expression is regular with \(q=0\) and, additionally, Dirichlet boundary conditions are imposed, then \(A\) is J-selfadjoint and J-nonnegative with discrete spectrum. In this case, it is well known that \(A\) has the \textit{similarity property}, i.e., \(A\) is similar to a selfadjoint operator in the Hilbert space \(L^2_w (-b,b)\) if and only if the eigenfunctions form a Riesz basis. If, additionally, \(w\) is even, then, by a criterion going back to \textit{A. I. Parfënov} [Sib. Mat. Zh. 44, No.~4, 810--819 (2003); translation in Sib. Math. J. 44, No.~4, 638--644 (2003; Zbl 1033.46059)], this holds true if and only if the function \(W(x) := \int_0^x w(s) \, ds\) is positively increasing at \(0\), i.e., \(\limsup_{x \rightarrow 0}W(xt)/W(x) \neq 1\) for some \(t \in (0,1)\). In the present paper, the case of a singular differential expression (with limit point case at \(b\) and \(-b\)) is considered and it is assumed that \(A\) is J-selfadjoint and J-nonnegative. Then, studying the critical points \(\infty\) and \(0\) a number of sufficient and necessary conditions for the similarity property are obtained. If \(w\) and \(q\) are even, then, indeed, the Weyl-Titchmarsh function \(m_+\) corresponding to the associated Neumann problem on \([0,b)\) allows the sufficient and necessary condition \(\sup_{y>0} \operatorname{Im} m_+(iy)/\operatorname{Re} m_+(iy) < \infty\). This result leads to some conditions formulated in terms of the coefficients. For example, if \(b = \infty\), \(q=0\) and \(w\) is even with \(\int w(t) \, dt = \infty\) and \(\int t^2 w(t) \, dt = \infty\), then \(A\) is similar to a selfadjoint operator if and only if \(W(x)\) and \(1/W(1/x)\) are positively increasing at \(0\). Additionally, some more explicit sufficient conditions are obtained. The results are presented in a condensed form omitting the proofs. Some of these proofs can be found in another paper by the author [Adv. Math. 246, 368--413 (2013; Zbl 1287.34017)] which is not mentioned here.