The Weyl–von Neumann theorem asserts that two bounded self-adjoint operators A, B on a Hilbert space H are unitarily equivalent modulo compacts, i.e.uAu* + K = B for some unitary u 𝜖 u(H) and compact self-adjoint operator K, if and only if A and B have the same essential spectrum: σess (A) = σess (B). We study, using methods from descriptive set theory, the problem of whether the above Weyl–von Neumann result can be extended to unbounded operators. We show that if H is separable infinite dimensional, the relation of unitary equivalence modulo compacts for bounded self-adjoint operators is smooth, while the same equivalence relation for general self-adjoint operators contains a dense Gδ-orbit but does not admit classification by countable structures. On the other hand, the apparently related equivalence relation A ~ B ⇔ ∃u 𝜖 U(H) [u(A-i)–1u* - (B-i)–1 is compact] is shown to be smooth.

It is well known that a weak solution φ to the initial boundary value problem for the uniformly parabolic equation $\partial _t\varphi - {\rm div}(A\nabla \varphi ) +\omega \varphi = f $ in $\Omega _T\equiv \Omega \times (0,T)$ satisfies the uniform estimate

$$\Vert \varphi \Vert_{\infty,\Omega_T}\les \Vert \varphi\Vert_{\infty,\partial_p\Omega_T}+c \Vert f \Vert_{q,\Omega_T}, \ \ \ c=c(N,\lambda, q, \Omega_T), $$

$q \gt 1+{N}/{2}$

${\open R}^N$

$\partial _p\Omega _T$

$\Omega _T$

$\omega \in L^1(\Omega _T)$

$\omega \ges 0$

$q=1+{N}/{2}$

$\Vert f \Vert_{q,\Omega _T}$

$$ \Vert \varphi \Vert_{\infty,\Omega_T}\les \Vert \varphi_0 \Vert_{\infty,\partial_p\Omega_T}+c \Vert f \Vert_{1+{N}/{2},\Omega_T} \left(\ln(\Vert f \Vert_{q,\Omega_T}+1)+1\right). $$

Using a standard theory of differential operators in Lebesgue spaces, we re-prove and generalize some results of Chernyavskaya and Shuster, giving (mostly sufficient) conditions that minimal operators determined by expressions of the form −(ry′)′ + qy with domain and range in possibly different Lp spaces on intervals with at least one singular endpoint have bounded inverses.

We establish existence results for a class of semilinear elliptic equations with exponential nonlinearity by studying a suitable eigenvalue problem. We also establish a uniqueness result for those equations by making use of the implicit function theorem.

We define a functional version of the Fučik spectrum for the Laplacian and we prove that this functional spectrum has empty interior.

We consider a class of Schrödinger operators on ${\open R}^N$ with radial potentials. Viewing them as self-adjoint operators on the space of radially symmetric functions in $L^2({\open R}^N)$, we show that the following properties are generic with respect to the potential:

1. (P1) the eigenvalues below the essential spectrum are nonresonant (i.e., rationally independent) and so are the square roots of the moduli of these eigenvalues;

2. (P2) the eigenfunctions corresponding to the eigenvalues below the essential spectrum are algebraically independent on any nonempty open set.

We extend a result from Phillips by showing that one-homogeneous solutions of certain elliptic systems in divergence form either do not exist or must be affine. The result is novel in two ways. Firstly, the system is allowed to depend (in a sufficiently smooth way) on the spatial variable x. Secondly, Phillips's original result is shown to apply to W one-homogeneous solutions, from which his treatment of Lipschitz solutions follows as a special case. A singular one-homogeneous solution to an elliptic system violating the hypotheses of the main theorem is constructed using a variational method.

In this paper, we investigate the Dirichlet eigenvalue problems of the poly-Laplacian with any order and the quadratic polynomial operator of the Laplacian. We give some estimates for lower bounds of the sums of their first k eigenvalues.

We study ribbons of vanishing Gaussian curvature, i.e. flat ribbons, constructed along a curve in $\mathbb {R}^{3}$. In particular, we first investigate to which extent the ruled structure determines a flat ribbon: in other words, we ask whether for a given curve $\gamma$ and ruling angle (angle between the ruling line and the curve's tangent) there exists a well-defined flat ribbon. It turns out that the answer is positive only up to an initial condition, expressed by a choice of normal vector at a point. We then study the set of infinitely narrow flat ribbons along a fixed curve $\gamma$ in terms of energy. By extending a well-known formula for the bending energy of the rectifying developable, introduced in the literature by Sadowsky in 1930, we obtain an upper bound for the difference between the bending energies of two solutions of the initial value problem. We finally draw further conclusions under some additional assumptions on the ruling angle and the curve $\gamma$.

In the context of discrete nonautonomous dynamics, we prove that the homeomorphisms in the linearization theorem are $C^2$ diffeomorphisms. In contrast to other related works, our result does not involve non-resonance conditions or spectral gaps. Our approach is based on the interlacing of the properties of nonautonomous hyperbolicity of the linear part, and boundedness and Lipschitzness of the nonlinearities. Moreover, we propose a functional approach to find conditions for regularity of arbitrary degree.

We study the existence of large solutions for nonlocal Dirichlet problems posed on a bounded, smooth domain, associated with fully nonlinear elliptic equations of order $2\,s$, with $s\in (1/2,\,1)$, and a coercive gradient term with subcritical power $0< p<2\,s$. Due to the nonlocal nature of the diffusion, new blow-up phenomena arise within the range $0< p<2\,s$, involving a continuum family of solutions and/or solutions blowing-up to $-\infty$ on the boundary. This is in striking difference with the local case studied by Lasry–Lions for the subquadratic case $1< p<2$.

The existence and nonexistence of semi-trivial or coexistence steady-state solutions of one-dimensional competition models in an unstirred chemostat are studied by establishing new results on systems of Hammerstein integral equations via the classical fixed point index theory. We provide three ranges for the two parameters involved in the competition models under which the models have no semi-trivial and coexistence steady-state solutions or have semi-trivial steady-state solutions but no coexistence steady-state solutions or have semi-trivial or coexistence steady-state solutions. It remains open to find the largest range for the two parameters under which the models have only coexistence steady-state solutions. We apply the new results on systems of Hammerstein integral equations to obtain results on steady-state solutions of systems of reaction-diffusion equations with general separated boundary conditions. Such type of results have not been studied in the literature. However, these results are very useful for studying the competition models in an unstirred chemostat. Our results on Hammerstein integral equations and differential equations generalize and improve some previous results.

The following conjecture of Race will be proved: if τ is a formally J-symmetric quasi-differential expression on a real interval I, such that for some λ = ℂ all solutions of τy = τy belong to L2(I), then λ belongs to the regularity field of the minimal operator To generated by τ in L2(l).

Two non-singular conies ω and α are said to be related by a pentagram if there exist pentads ofdistinct points {Oi} on ω and {Ai} on α (1 ≦ i ≦ 5) such that A1 ≡ O2O4. O3O5, A2 ≡ O3O5. O1O4, A3 ≡ O1O4. O2O5, A4 ≡ O2O5. O1O3 and A5 ≡ O1O3. O2O4. It is shown that relation by a pentagram is a poristic property; and a necessary condition on their mutual projective invariants that two nonsingular conies be so related is derived. Some ramifications are discussed.