Self-adjoint differential operators and curves on a Lagrangian Grassmannian, subject to a train (Q752286)

The paper deals with scalar self-adjoint differential equations generated by operators of the form \[ (1)\quad L=(\frac{d}{dt})^{2n}+\sum^{n}_{i=1}(\frac{d}{dt})^{(n- i)}[u_{n-i}(t)(\frac{d}{dt})^{(n-i)}] \] and with the corresponding curves on the Lagrangian Grassmannian \(\Lambda_ n\) satisfying some additional conditions. In the case of periodic coefficients \(u_ j(t)\) in (1) the asymptotic Maslov-Arnold index of the corresponding curve in \(\Lambda_ n\) is determined. Moreover, theorems analogous to the Sturm theorems are given for the equations given by the operators of the form (1).