Upper bounds for the eigenvalues of differential equations (Q2491539)

The author presents some upper bounds for the eigenvalues of some classes of boundary value problems related with differential equations of second and fourth order. For simplicity in the presentation, it is assumed that the coefficients \(p\) and \(q\) of these equations are positive and continuous on \([0,l].\) Denoting by \(p_{m}^{-}\) and \(q_{m}^{-}\) (resp. \(p_{m}^{+}\) and \(q_{m}^{+}\)) the symmetrically decreasing (resp. increasing) rearrangements of \(p\) and \(q\) of degree \(m,\) the author obtains, among other things, the following bounds depending on the above rearrangements. Theorem 2.2: Let \(\nu _{n}(p,q)\) be the \(n\)th eigenvalue of \[ (p(x)y^{\prime })^{\prime }+\lambda q(x)y=0,\quad y^{\prime }(0)=0,\quad y^{\prime }(l)=0. \] Then \( \nu _{n}(p,q)\leq \nu _{2}(p_{n-1}^{-},q_{n-1}^{-})\) for all \(n>1,\) and equality holds if \((p,q)=(p_{n-1}^{-},q_{n-1}^{-})\). Theorem 3.2: Let \(\lambda _{n}(p,q)\) be the \(n\)th eigenvalue of \[ (p(x)y^{\prime \prime })^{\prime \prime }-\lambda q(x)y=0,\quad y(0)=y^{\prime \prime }(0)=0, \quad y(l)=y^{\prime \prime }(l)=0. \] Then \(\lambda _{n}(p,q)\leq \lambda _{n}(p_{n}^{-},q_{n}^{+})\) for all \(n,\) and equality holds only if \( (p,q)=(p_{n}^{-},q_{n}^{+}).\) Theorem 4.3: Let \(\lambda _{n}(p,q)\) be the \(n\)th eigenvalue of \[ y^{(4)}-[\lambda q(x)-p(x)]y=0,\quad y(0)=y^{\prime \prime }(0)=0,\quad y(l)=y^{\prime \prime }(l)=0. \] Then \(\lambda _{n}(p,q)\leq \lambda _{n}(p_{n}^{-},q_{n}^{+})\) for all \(n,\) and equality holds only if \( (p,q)=(p_{n}^{-},q_{n}^{+}).\) The proof of these results is based in variational principles for the first eigenvalue of suitable boundary value problems; in the construction of an appropriate compact, selfadjoint and positive operator from \(L^{2}(0,l)\) into itself; and in previous arguments developed by the author in [SIAM J. Math. Anal. 29, 1279--1300 (1998; Zbl 0914.34072)].