The similarity problem for \(J\)-nonnegative Sturm-Liouville operators (Q2378611)

The differential expression \(- \frac{1}{r(x)} \frac{d^2}{dx^2}\) with an indefinite weight function \(r(x) = {\text{sgn}} (x)|r(x)|\) induces a J-selfadjoint J-nonnegative operator \(A\) in the Krein space \(L^2_r\) if e.g. considered on the compact interval \([-1,1]\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this case, \(A\) is similar to a selfadjoint operator in the Hilbert space \(L^2_{|r|}\) if and only if \(\infty\) is not a singular critical point of \(A\). This question, also equivalent to the Riesz basis property of the eigenfunctions of \(A\) in \(L^2_{|r|}\), is well studied in the literature. If the differential expression is considered on the whole real axis with limit point case at \(+\infty\) and \(-\infty\) then the additional critical point \(0\) comes into play and if there is also a potential, i.e. if we consider \(- \frac{1}{r(x)} (\frac{d^2}{dx^2} + q)\) on \((-\infty,\infty)\), then in general \(A\) need not to be J-nonnegative any more. This is the setting in the present article. The authors give an overview over the so far known theory started by a paper by Curgus and Najman in 1995 with \(r = {\text{sgn}} (x)\) and \(q=0\). Then the authors present various new results and extensions of known results. First they obtain general sufficient conditions for the non-singularity of \(0\) and of \(\infty\) of \(A\) and hence of the similarity property by means of the two Titchmarch-Weyl coefficients associated with the corresponding definite differential expressions on the subintervals \((-\infty, 0]\) and \([0,\infty)\). This improves a previously known condition. In the following this result is applied to different more concrete settings of \(r\) and \(q\) estimating the asymptotic behavior of these Titchmarch-Weyl coefficients. In this way new criteria for the similarity property are obtained if (a) \(r = {\text{sgn}} (x)\) and \(\int (1 + |x|) |q(x)| < \infty\) or (b) \(r = {\text{sgn}} (x)\) and \(q\) is periodic or (c) \(r = {\text{sgn}} (x)\) and \(q\) is a finite-zone or infinite-zone potential or (d) \(r(x) = \pm p(x)|x|^{\alpha \pm}\) with \(p >0, \; \alpha \pm > -1\) and \(q=0\). In particular it turns out that in case (a) the J-nonnegativity of \(A\) is necessary and sufficient for the similarity property and it plays an important role also in the cases (b) (at least sufficient) and (c). Moreover, a concrete potential \(q\) is constructed with \(\int (1 + |x|) |q(x)| = \infty\) such that \(A\) with \(r = {\text{sgn}} (x)\) is J-nonnegative but \(0\) is a singular critical point and hence \(A\) is not similar to a selfadjoint operator. This example is used to sharpen case (a) and to show that the nonsingularity of the critical point \(0\) does not only depend on the behavior of the coefficients near \(\infty\).