Negative eigenvalues of two-dimensional Schrödinger operators (Q2354699)

Consider the Schrödinger type operator \(H=-\Delta-V, 0\leq V\in L^1_{\mathrm{loc}}({\mathbb R}^d)\). Denote by \(\text{Neg}(V,{\mathbb R}^d)\) the number of non-positive eigenvalues of the operator \(H: L^2({\mathbb R}^d)\to L^2({\mathbb R}^d)\) counted with multiplicity, assuming that its spectrum in \((-\infty, 0]\) is discrete. A celebrated inequality of Cwikel-Lieb-Rozenblum says that \[ \text{Neg}(V,{\mathbb R}^d) \leq C_d \int_{{\mathbb R}^d} V(x)^{d/2} dx,\quad d\geq 3. \] If \(d=2\), this estimate is not valid (in the two-dimensional case, for any non-trivial potential \(V\) the spectrum of \(H\) has a negative part). The main result of the paper under review provides an upper bound for \(\text{Neg}(V,{\mathbb R}^2)\). To state it, let us introduce some notation. For any \(n \in {\mathbb Z}\), define the annuli \(U_n\) and \(W_n\) in \({\mathbb R}^2\) by \[ U_n= \begin{cases} \{e^{2^{n-1}} <|x|<e^{2^{n}}\},\quad & n\geq 1\\ \{e^{-1} <|x|<e\}, \quad & n=0,\quad W_n=\{ x\in\mathbb R^2:e^n<| x| < e^{n+1}\},\\ \{e^{-2^{n}} <|x|<e^{-2^{n-1}}\}\quad & n\leq -1.\end{cases} \] Let \[ A_n(V) = \int_{U_n} V(x) (1 + |{\ln{|x|}}|) dx, \] \[ B_{n,p} (V) = \left(\int_{W_n}V^p (x) |x|^{2(p-1)} dx\right)^{1/p}. \] For any non-negative function \(V\in L^1_{loc}({\mathbb R}^2)\) and \(p > 1\), the authors prove the estimate \[ \text{Neg}(V,{\mathbb R}^2) \leq 1 +C \sum_{n\in {\{\mathbb Z}: A_n> c\}} \sqrt{A_n}+ C \sum_{n\in {\{\mathbb Z}: B_n> c\}} B_{n,p}, \] where \(C, c\) are some positive constants depending only on \(p\). The authors compare their result with some other relevant ones and give examples of applications.