Small potential corrections for the discrete eigenvalues of the Sturm- Liouville problem (Q912578)

Let \(\lambda_ 1\leq \lambda_ 2\leq..\). be the eigenvalues of the Sturm- Liouville problem, \(-y'+qy=\lambda y\), \(y(0)=y(\pi)=0\), and let \(\Lambda_ k^{(n)}\) be the estimate for \(\lambda_ k\) obtained by the finite element method with linear hat functions on a uniform mesh of width \(h=\pi /(n+1)\). The reviewer and \textit{J. W. Paine} [Numer. Math. 50, 205-215 (1986; Zbl 0588.65062)] showed that, for all \(q\in C^ 2[0,\pi]\), there is a constant c such that, for all \(n\in {\mathbb{N}}\) and \(k=1,...,n\), \(| {\tilde \Lambda}_ k^{(n)}-\lambda_ k| \leq ck^ 2h^ 3/\sin (kh),\) where \({\tilde \Lambda}{}_ k^{(n)}\) is derived from \(\Lambda_ k^{(n)}\) by a simple asymptotic correction technique of \textit{J. W. Paine}, \textit{F. R. de Hoog} and \textit{R. S. Anderssen} [Computing 26, 123-139 (1981; Zbl 0436.65063)]. This compares with the \(O(k^ 4h^ 2)\) error in the uncorrected estimates. Using a different method of proof, the author obtains a simple upper bound for the constant c in the above inequality in terms of the Sobolev norm \(\| q\|_ 2\). It is shown to be valid whenever \(4\vee 25\| q\|_ 2\leq k\leq (n+1)/2\) and q has zero mean. This enables two-sided bounds for \(\lambda_ k\) to be computed. The requirement \(q\in C^ 2[0,\pi]\) is also weakened to \(q\in H^ 2[0,\pi]\). Complementing work of \textit{J. Paine} [SIAM J. Sci. Stat. Comput. 5, 149-156 (1984; Zbl 0536.65067)] on finite difference methods, the paper concludes with a numerical example illustrating the critical importance of asymptotic correction in the solution of the inverse eigenvalue problem. \{The reviewer's first initial is missing in references [1] and [2].\}