Multiplicative perturbations of the Laplacian and related approximation problems (Q409224)

Let \(\alpha(x)\) be a strictly positive, continuous bounded function. The authors show that the operator \(\alpha(x)\Delta\) (seen as a multiplicative perturbation of the Laplacian) generates a Feller semigroup and, hence, a Feller process. The semigroups are investigated both in the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity and in its weighted counterpart (with a weight of the class \(C_b\cap C^2\)). In both cases, the (pre-)domains of the generator are carefully investigated. In a second part, the thus obtained semigroups are approximated by integral operators. This technique is reminiscent of results by \textit{B. Böttcher} and \textit{R. L. Schilling} [Stoch. Dyn. 9, No. 1, 71--80 (2009; Zbl 1168.60359)] and \textit{Ya. A. Butko, O. G. Smolyanov} and \textit{R. L. Schilling} [Dokl. Math. 82, No. 2, 679--683 (2010; Zbl 1213.47047)] as it uses `freezing of coefficients' and the Trotter product formula.