Asymptotic solutions of characteristic equations (Q2387458)

The author considers equations of the form \[ a \lambda^n e^{\lambda b} - c = 0 \quad \text{in } \mathbb{C} \] and the perturbed equations \[ a\lambda^n(1+R_1(\lambda))e^{\lambda b}+R_2(\lambda)-c=0 \quad \text{in } \mathbb{C}_\sigma^-\,. \] Here, \(a\) and \(b\) are positive real numbers, \(n\) is a positive integer, \(c\) is a complex number with \(| c| =1\), and \(R_1\), \(R_2\) are analytic in \(\mathbb{C}_\sigma^- = \{z \in \mathbb{C} : \text{Re}\,{z} \leq \sigma\}\) for \(\sigma \in \mathbb{R}\). Such equations often arise as characteristic equations for the eigenvalues of certain linear differential operators, and the problem of characterizing the leading eigenvalues is equivalent to characterize the zeros of the largest real part of these equations. The author gives rigorous asymptotic results about solutions \(\lambda \in \mathbb{C}\) of the above equations. He also gives applications to eigenvalue problems of differential-difference equations, elongational flow and population dynamics.