Lyapunov inequalities for the periodic boundary value problem at higher eigenvalues (Q624601)

The periodic and antiperiodic boundary value problems for the differential equation \[ u''(x)+a(x)u(x)=0, \quad x\in(0,T),\tag{*} \] are studied, where \(a: \mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\) belongs to the set \(L_T(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R})\) of all \(T\)-periodic functions such that \(\left.a\right|_{[0,T]}\in L^1(0,T)\). Let \(\lambda_n\) denote the eigenvalues for the equation \[ u''(x)+\lambda u(x)=0, \] with periodic boundary conditions. It holds \(\lambda_0=0,\) \(\lambda_{2n-1}=\lambda_{2n}=(2n)^2\pi^2/T^2\), \(n\in\mathbb{N}\). Next, let \(\Lambda_n\) be the set of the functions \(a\in L_T(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R})\) satisfying \(\lambda_{2n-1}\leq a\) with the strict inequality on a set of positive measure and such that the periodic boundary value problem for (*) has a nonzero solution. An explicit expression is found for \(\inf_{a\in\Lambda_n}\|a\|_{L^1(0,T)}\) and it is shown that this infimum is not attained. Similarly, the antiperiodic boundary conditions are treated and an analogous result is obtained. Applications to the study of the stability properties of the Hill's equation are given and some new conditions which allow to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions of nonlinear problems at resonance are presented.