Selfadjoint and \(m\) sectorial extensions of Sturm-Liouville operators (Q300816)

Let \(T\) be the minimal operator generated by the Sturm-Liouville expression with minimal conditions on its coefficients on an interval \((a,b)\). For simplicity it is assumed that \(a\) is a regular point. When \(T\) is positive, the authors parametrise all positive selfadjoint extensions of \(T\), identifying in particular the Friedrichs and von Neumann-Krein extensions. Here, an important role is played by the connection between the semi-boundedness of \(T\) and the disconjugacy of the Sturm-Liouville equation for a suitable choice of the eigenvalue parameter, which was first established by \textit{F. Rellich} [Math. Ann. 122, 343--368 (1951; Zbl 0044.31201)]. Then the authors characterise all \(m\)-sectorial extensions of \(T\) when \(T\) is a coercive sectorial operator, generalising a result by \textit{Yu. Arlinskiĭ} [Math. Nachr. 209, 5--36 (2000; Zbl 0949.47008)], who required bounded coefficients.