Sch'nol's theorem for strongly local forms (Q2655758)

It is well-known that the spectral values of Schrödinger operators \(H\) can be characterized in terms of the existence of appropriate generalized eigenfunctions. According to the classical theorem of \textit{È.\,È.\thinspace Šnol'} [Mat.\ Sb.,\ N.~Ser.\ 42(84), 273--286; erratum ibid.\ 46(88), 259 (1957; Zbl 0078.27904)], the existence of an eigensolution of \(Hu = \lambda u\) with enough decay guarantees \(\lambda\in\sigma(H)\). In the paper under review, the authors prove a variant of Sch'nol's theorem in a general setting: for generators of strongly local Dirichlet forms perturbed by measures (with form small negative and arbitrary positive part). It is shown that existence of a generalized eigenfunction \(Hu = \lambda u\) which is subexponentially bounded (in the intrinsic metric) implies that \(\lambda\in\sigma(H)\). Applications to quantum graphs with \(\delta \)- or Kirchhoff boundary conditions are included.