Approximation of eigenvalues of some differential equations by zeros of orthogonal polynomials (Q2479354)

Even solutions of the Ince equation \[ (1+a\cos2t)y''+b(\sin2t)y'+(\lambda+d\cos2t)y=0,\tag{*} \] where \(a,b,c\) are real with \(| a| <1\), and \(\lambda\) is regarded as a spectral parameter are considered. This equation contains the Mathieu equation, the Whittaker-Hill equation, and the Lamé equation. Let \(\sigma_n=4n^2\), \(\tau_n=Q(-n)\), \(\rho_n=Q(n-1)\) for \(n>1\), where \(Q(z)=2az^2-bz-d/2\), and \(M_n\) be the \(n\times n\) tridiagonal matrix \(M_n=\left(\begin{smallmatrix} \sigma_0&\tau_1&0&\dots&0\\ \rho_1&\sigma_1&\tau_2&\dots&0\\ 0&\rho_2&\sigma_2&\dots&0\\ \hdotsfor5\end{smallmatrix}\right)\). Consider the polynomials \(p_n (\lambda)=\det(\lambda-M_n)\). Under some assumptions, the sequence \(\{p_n\}\) is orthogonal in some sense (Theorem 1). For the polynomials \(p_n(\lambda)\), two types of results are obtained. First, if \(\lambda_{n,k}\), \(k=1,2,\dots,n\), denote the zeros of \(p_n(\lambda)\) (\(\Re(\lambda_{n,1}) \leq\dotsb\leq \Re(\lambda_{n,n})\)), then the sequence \(\lambda_{n,k}\) converges to \(\lambda_k\) -- the \(k\)th eigenvalue of (*) (\(\lambda_1< \lambda_2< \dots\)), as \(n\to\infty\) (Theorem 2). Second, the interlacing properties of the zeros \(\lambda_{n,k}\) are discussed (Theorem 4). The lower and upper bounds for the eigenvalues of the Mathieu equation (Theorem 5), the Whittaker--Hill equation (Theorem 6), and the Lamé equation (Theorems 7,8) are given.