On classification of singular matrix difference equations of mixed order (Q6885394)

The authors study linear matrix difference equations whose components may satisfy relations of different orders and where the leading coefficient may fail to be invertible. Such equations arise as discrete analogues of singular differential equations. The authors give a detailed classification of all self-adjoint realisations of the associated operators in the limit-point and limit-circle framework. They first analyse existence and uniqueness of solutions for initial value problems and develop a Weyl-type construction suited to the mixed-order, possibly singular case. Using this framework, the authors then derive practical criteria describing when the system is limit-point or limit-circle and show how these criteria depend strongly on the interaction between diagonal and off-diagonal terms. Several worked examples illustrate how subtle changes in coefficients affect the spectral behaviour and boundary conditions.