Method of variations of potential of quasi-periodic Schrödinger equations (Q2480856)

Chan studies the quasi-periodic Schrödinger equation \[ -\varphi(n+1)-\varphi(n-1)+\lambda V(x+n\omega)\varphi(n)=E\varphi(n) \] (where \(n \in \mathbb{Z}\,,\;E \in \mathbb{R}\) and \(x,\omega\in\mathbb{T}\)) with special emphasis on the Lyapunov exponent, which is known from the literature to be uniformly positive for analytic potentials \(V\). This paper considers smooth potentials in the perturbative regime. By introducing variations of the potential and upon using a KAM-type approach to deal with multiple resonances, the author shows that if \(V\in C^3(\mathbb{T})\) and the coupling \(\lambda\) is large, then the Lyapunov exponent is positive for most frequencies \(\omega\) and for all energies \(E\).