On a criterion for discrete or continuous spectrum of \(p\)-Laplace eigenvalue problems with singular sign-changing weights (Q2267576)

The authors investigate the eigenvalue problem \[ (\varphi_p(u'))'+\lambda V(t)\varphi_p(u)=0,\;t\in (0,1),\;u(0)=0=u(1), \tag{*} \] where \(\varphi_p(u)=|u|^{p-2}u\), \(p>1\). They denote by (V) the property \(V\in L^1_{\text{loc}}(0,1)\) and \(\text{meas}\{t\in (0,1):\, V(t)>0\}>0\), meas\(\{\cdot\}\) being the Lebesgue measure, and introduce the classes \[ \begin{aligned} {\mathcal A}&= \bigg\{V\in L^1_{\text{loc}}(0,1), \int_0^1 t^{p-1}(1-t)^{p-1} V(t)\,dt<\infty\bigg\}, \\ {\mathcal B}&=\left\{V\in L^1_{\text{loc}}(0,1): \int_0^{1/2}\varphi_p^{-1} \biggl(\int_t^{1/2} |V(s)|\,ds\biggr)\,dt+ \int_{1/2}^1 \varphi^{-1}\biggl(\int_{1/2}^t |V(s)|\,ds\biggr)\,dt<\infty\right\}.\end{aligned} \] The main results of the paper are the following two theorems. Theorem 1. Assume \(V\in {\mathcal A}\cap {\mathcal B}\) and \text{(V)}. Then {\parindent8mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)] The set of all positive eigenvalues of \text{(*)} is a countable strictly increasing sequence \(\lambda_k\to \infty\) as \(k\to \infty\). \item[(ii)] For each \(k\), the solution space is a subspace of \(C^1[0,1]\) and each eigenspace is one-dimensional. \item[(iii)] Any eigenfunction corresponding to \(\lambda_k\) has exactly \(k-1\) zeros in \((0,1)\). \end{itemize}} Theorem 2. Let \(V(t)\in t^{-p}\). Then {\parindent8mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)] The set of eigenvalues of \text{(*)} is the whole interval \((0,\infty)\). \item[(ii)] Each eigenfunction belongs to \(C[0,1]\cup C^1(0,1]\) and \(\varphi(u')\in W^{1,1}_{\text{loc}}(0,1)\), however, \(u\not\in C^1[0,1]\). Each eigenspace is one-dimensional. \item[(iii)] If \(0<\lambda\leq ((p-1)/p)^p\), then each eigenfunction is positive or negative in \((0,1)\). \end{itemize}} If \(\lambda>((p-1)/p)^p\), then each eigenfunction has infinitely many zeros in \((0,1)\) which converge to the origin.