Discontinuous dependence of the \(n\)-th Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue (Q4357523)

Consider the Sturm-Liouville problem \[ -(py')'+yq= \lambda wy \quad\text{on } \lfloor a,b\rfloor, \qquad Ay(a)+ A'(py')(a)=0, \qquad By(b)+ B'(py')(b)=0. \] It is well known that there exists a countable set of eigenvalues \(\lambda_n\), \(n\in \mathbb{N}\) such that \(\lambda_n\to +\infty\) as \(n\to+\infty\), and the corresponding eigenfunction has \(n\) zeros in the open interval \((a,b)\). The aim of the paper is to study the variations of \(\lambda_n\) with respect to \(A'\) with all other parameters fixed; and similarly with respect to \(B'\). The authors prove that \(\lambda_0(A')\) has an infinite jump discontinuity at \(A'=0\), but for all \(n>0\), \(\lambda_n(A')\) has a finite jump discontinuity at \(A'=0\), \(\lambda_n(A')\) is left but not right continuous at \(A'=0\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0864.00057].