On the simplicity of eigenvalues of two nonhomogeneous Euler-Bernoulli beams connected by a point mass (Q2416355)

In this paper, the authors consider a linear system modeling the vibrations of two nonhomogeneous Euler-Bernoulli beams connected by a point mass. By applying separation of variables to this linear system the authors obtain the following eigenvalue problem \(L\): \[ \begin{aligned} (\sigma_1 (x) u^{\prime\prime})^{\prime\prime}-(q_1 (x) u^{\prime})^{\prime}=\lambda \rho_1 (x) u, \quad x\in(-1,0), \\ (\sigma_2 (x) \upsilon^{\prime\prime})^{\prime\prime}-(q_2 (x) \upsilon^{\prime})^{\prime}=\lambda \rho_2 (x) \upsilon, \quad x\in(0,1), \\ u(-1)=u^{\prime\prime}(-1)= \upsilon(-1)=\upsilon^{\prime\prime}(-1)=0,\\ u(0)=\upsilon(0), u^{\prime}(0)=\upsilon^{\prime}(0),\sigma_1 (u^{\prime\prime}(0))=\sigma_2 (\upsilon^{\prime\prime}(0))\\ \big({T}^{1}u(x)- {T}^{2}\upsilon(x)\big)_{|_{x=0}}=-M\lambda u(0), \end{aligned} \] where \({T}^{i}f(x)=(\sigma_i (x) f^{\prime\prime})^{\prime}-q_i (x) f^{\prime} (x)\). Here \(x\in(-1,0)\) and \(x\in(0,1)\) for \(i=1,2\), respectively. The main result of this study reads as follows: Theorem: The eigenvalues of the problem \({L}\) are real, algebraically simple and form an infinitely increasing sequence. The corresponding eigenfunctions \(\phi_{n}, n\geq1\) have the following inequalities: \(\phi_{n}^{\prime}(-1)-{T}^{1}\phi_{n}(-1)<0\) and \(\phi_{n}^{\prime}(1)-{T}^{2}\phi_{n}(1)>0\) for all \(n\geq1\).