Commuting self-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators defined from the partial derivatives (Q2731837)

The authors look at the partial derivatives \((1/i)(\partial/\partial x_j)\) as symmetric operators in \(L^2(\Omega)\) with initial domain \(C^\infty_c(\Omega)\), where \(\Omega\) is an open subset in \(\mathbb{R}^d\). The problem of finding commuting self-adjoint extensions for these operators is studied. After introducing the concept of spectral sets and sets which hve the extension property, all possible spectral pairs in the special case of \(\Omega\) being the unit square in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) are determined. In the case \(\Omega= I\times\Omega_2\), where \(I\) is the unit interval and \(\Omega_2\) is an open subset of \(\mathbb{R}^{d-1}\), all self-adjoint extensions of \((1/i)(\partial/\partial x_1)\) are given by means of von Neumann's theory on deficiency indices. This allows to characterize the commutativity of the unitary groups by a certain cocycle property. In subsequently sections, a connection to quasicrystals is established and the case \(\Omega= I^d\) is treated.