On the spectrum of odd order self-adjoint ordinary differential operators on the real line with quasi-periodic coefficients (Q678599)

Odd order ordinary differential operators \[ L=D^n+p_{n-2}(t)D^{n-2}+\dots+p_1(t)D+p_0(t) \] are considered on \(\mathbb{R}\), where \(D=i^{-1}\frac d{dt}\), and the coefficient functions \(p_0,\dots,p_{n-2}\) are quasi-periodic. Then \(L\) with domain \(H^n(\mathbb{R})\) is selfadjoint in \(L^2(\mathbb{R})\). The set of \(n-1\)-tuples of quasi-periodic functions \(p=(p_0,\dots,p_{n-2})\) is endowed with a suiatable norm \(|p|_r\). The main result of the paper is about the absolutely continuous spectrum of \(L\): Theorem 1.1. There exists a continuously increasing function \(g:[0,\infty)\to [0,\infty)\) with \(g(0)=0\) such that the spectrum of \(L\) contains the set \(I(p)=(-\infty,-g(|p|_r)]\cup[g(|p|_r),\infty)\). Furthermore, in \(I(p)\), \(L\) has only absolutely continuous spectrum, and this spectrum is simple. The proof is very involved and lengthy. Writing the eigenvalue problem in the form \(Lu=z^nu\), the associated first order system can be written in the form \[ X'(t)=(A_1(z)+F_1(t,z))X(t), \] where \(A_1(z)=iz\text{diag}(e^{2\pi i(r-1)/n})_{r=1}^n\) and \(F_1(t,z)\) is a rational function in \(z\) whose coefficients are polynomials in \(p_0(t),\dots, p_{n-2}(t)\). To obtain the solution of this first order system, the Floquet decomposition \(Y(t,z)e^{A(z)t}\) is taken, where \(Y\) and \(A\) have to satisfy \[ Y'=(A_1+F_1)Y-YA. \] Following the method of \textit{E. I. Dinaburg} and \textit{Ya. G. Sinai} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 9, 279-289 (1975); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 9, No. 4, 8-21 (1975; Zbl 0333.34014)], this system is solved for \(Y\) and \(A\) iteratively. For \(n=3\), in Theorem 1.2 a perturbation result is obtained by comparing the operator \(L\) with the constant coefficient operator \(\widehat L\) whose coefficients are the means of the corresponding coefficient functions of \(L\).