Differential operators symmetric with respect to an indefinite metric (Q650503)

Let \(p,r\) and \(s\) be \(2\pi\)-periodic complex valued infinitely differentiable functions. An operator \(L\), \[ L u := p(t) u''(t) + r(t) u'(t) + s(t)u(t), \] is defined for all \(2\pi\)-periodic complex valued infinitely differentiable functions \(u\). This operator is investigated in a Pontryagin space with inner product \([u,u]:= \sum q_k u_k \overline{u_k}\), where \(u_k\) and \(q_k\) are the Fourier coefficients of the functions \(u\) and \(q\). Here, \(q\) is allowed to be a distribution and it is assumed that \(q_k\) is always real, nonzero and that only finitely many \(q_k\) are negative. A pair \((q,L)\) is called elementary if the operator \(L\) is symmetric with respect to the inner product \([\cdot,\cdot]\) of the Pontryagin space and if the functions \(p,r\) and \(s\) have the least common period equal to \(2\pi\). It is the aim of the present paper to describe all elementary pairs. This is done via a description of all possible series of Fourier coefficients \(q_k\), \(p_k\), \(r_k\) and \(s_k\) of the functions \(q\), \(p\), \(r\) and \(s\), respectively. The authors distinguish three kinds of such series: the rational, irrational and singular series. They provide explicit formulas for these series and show that these three series exhaust the set of all elementary pairs.