Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T08:31:47.160Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Nondassical eigenvalue distribution of one-dimensional Schrödinger operators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2011

M. Klaus
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, U.S.A.

Synopsis

We consider differential operators of the form H = −d2/dx2 + q(x) acting on u ∈ L2(0,∞) with boundary condition u(0) = 0. The potential q(x) is such that H has essential spectrum [0,∞) and an infinite sequence of negative eigenvalues converging to zero. Let n(E) denote the number of eigenvalues of H which are less than E. Under certain conditions on q(x), the well-known formula n(E)∼(2φ)−1 vol {x, p | p2 + q(x)<E}, E↑0, holds. We shall study the validity of this formula for potentials which show oscillatory behaviour as x →∞, like e.g. q(x) = −(1 + x)−α(a + b sin x) with 0<α <2, a≧0, b≠0. We shall obtain the leading-order behaviour of both n(E) and vol n(E)∼(2φ)−1 vol {x, p | p2 + q(x)<E} as E↑0 for a certain class of q's, and we shall see that the classical formula fails in most cases, but there are some noteworthy exceptions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Brownell, I. H. and Clark, C. W.. Asymptotic distribution of the eigenvalues of the lower part of the Schrödinger operator spectrum. J. Math. Mech. 10 (1961), 3170.Google Scholar
2Chadan, K. and Grosse, H.. New bounds on the number of bound states. J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 16 (1983), 955961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Cohn, J. H. E.. On the negative eigenvalues of a singular boundary value problem. Quart. J. Math. Oxford 20 (1969), 187–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Klaus, M.. Some applications of the Birman Schwinger principle. Helv. Phys. Ada 55 (1982), 4968.Google Scholar
5Kwong, M. K. and Zettl, A.. A new approach to second order linear oscillation theory (ed. Everitt, W. N. and Lewis, R. T.) Lecture Notes in Mathematics 1032 (Berlin: Springer, 1982).Google Scholar
6McLeod, J. B.. The distribution of eigenvalues for the hydrogen atom and similar cases. Proc. London Math. Soc. 11 (1961), 139158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Reed, M. and Simon, B.. Methods of Modem Mathematical Physics, Vol. IV (New York: Academic Press, 1978).Google Scholar
8Rosenfeld, N. S.. The eigenvalues of a class of singular differential operators. Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 13 (1960), 395405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Simon, B.. Nonclassical eigenvalue asymptotics. J. Funct. Anal. 53 (1983), 8498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Simon, B.. Some quantum operators with discrete spectrum but classically continuous spectrum. Ann. Phys. 146 (1983), 209220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Tamura, H.. Asymptotic formulas with sharp remainder estimates for bound states of Schrödinger operators. I. J. Analyse Math. 40 (1981), 166182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Haeringen, H. van. Bound states for r−2-like potentials in one and three dimensions. J. Math. Phys. 19 (1978), 21712179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Weber, A.. On the asymptotic distribution of eigenvalues of the Sturm-Liouville operator. Math. Nachr. 108 (1982), 93104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Willett, D.. On the oscillation of ty” + p(t)v = 0 with ∫ p almost periodic. Ann. Polon. Math. 28 (1973), 335339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Wong, J. S. W.. Oscillation and nonoscillation of solutions of second order linear differential equations with integrable coefficients. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 144 (1969), 197215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar