On the \(L_w^2\)-solutions to general second-order nonsymmetric differential equations (Q5932629)

The authors extend the results by \textit{R. J. Amos} [Questions Math. 3, 53-65 (1978; Zbl 0411.34041)] and \textit{F. V. Atkinson}, \textit{W. D. Evans} [Math. Z. 127, 323-332 (1972; Zbl 0226.34026)] to the case in which \(M\) is a general second-order nonsymmetric operator. R. Amos proved that all solutions to the second-order differential equation \(M[y] = \lambda wy\), \(\lambda\in\mathbb C\), belong to \(L_w^2(a,\infty)\) whenever \(M\) is a second-order symmetric differential expression of the form \(M[f] = - (pf')' + qf\) on \([a,\infty)\) under fulfillment of suitable conditions on the coefficients \(p\) and \(q\). F. Atkinson and W. Evans studied the case in which there are solutions that do not belong to \(L_w^2(a,\infty)\). The aim of the article under review is to study the \(L_w^2\)-solutions to general second-order nonsymmetric differential equations \(M[f] = \lambda wf\) and \(M^+[g] = \overline\lambda wg\), with \[ \begin{gathered} M[f] = - (p(f' - rf))' + up(f' - rf) + qf, \\ M^+[g] = - (p(g' + uf))' + rp(p' + uf) + qg. \end{gathered} \] Here, \(p\), \(r\), \(u\), \(q\) are complex-valued Lebesgue-measurable functions on the interval \([a,b)\), \(-\infty < a < b\leq \infty\), satisfying the conditions \[ p(x)\neq 0\quad\text{for a.e. } x\in [a,b),\quad \frac{1}{p}, r, u, q\in L_{\text{loc}}(a,b) . \]