Regular approximations of singular Sturm-Liouville problems (Q2366154)

The differential expression \(My=-(py')'+qy\) is considered on \(I=(a,b)\), where \(-\infty\leq a<b\leq\infty\), \(1/p,q\in L_{loc}(I)\) and real valued, \(p\geq 0\). For a positive function \(w\in L_{loc}(I)\) let \(T_ 0\) be the minimal operator on the weighted Lebesgue space \(L^ 2(I,w)\) given by \(T_ 0f=w^{-1}Mf\). For a self-adjoint realization \(S\) of \(T_ 0\) the authors consider regular Sturm-Liouville operators \(S_ r\), associated with a restriction of the differential expression \(M\) to a subinterval \(I_ r=(a_ r,b_ r)\), such that \(a_ r\searrow a\), \(b_ r\nearrow b\). \((S_ r)_{r\in N}\) is called spectral included for \(T\) [on \((\alpha,\beta)]\) if for all \(\lambda\in\mathbb{R}\) \([\lambda\in(\alpha,\beta)]\) there exists a sequence \((\lambda_ r)_{r\in N}\) with \(\lambda_ r\in\sigma(T_ r)\) such that \(\lim_{r\to\infty}\lambda_ r=\lambda\), and spectral exact, if any limit point of a sequence \((\lambda_ r)_{r\in N}\) with \(\lambda_ r\in\sigma(T_ r)\) belongs to \(\sigma(T)\). The following results are proved: 1) If \(S\) is limit circle or regular at both endpoints \(a\) and \(b\), then there is a sequence \((S_ r)_{r\in N}\) which is spectral exact for \(S\). 2) If \(S\) is limit point at \(a\) or \(b\), then there is a sequence \((S_ r)_{r\in N}\) which is spectral included for \(S\); if \(S\) is bounded below, then this sequence of operators can be chosen such that it is spectral exact for \(S\) below the essential spectrum of \(S\).