M-matrix asymptotics for Sturm–Liouville problems on graphs

We consider a system formulation for Sturm–Liouville operators with formally self-adjoint boundary conditions on a graph. An M-matrix associated with the boundary value problem is defined and related to the matrix Prüfer angle associated with the system boundary value problem, and consequently with the boundary value problem on the graph. Asymptotics for the M-matrix are obtained as the eigenparameter tends to negative infinity. We show that the boundary conditions may be recovered, up to a unitary equivalence, from the M-matrix and that the M-matrix is a Herglotz function. This is the first in a series of papers devoted to the reconstruction of the Sturm–Liouville problem on a graph from its M-matrix.     

Linear and nonlinear abstract equations with parameters

This paper focuses on nonlocal boundary value problems for linear and nonlinear abstract elliptic equations in Banach spaces. Here equations and boundary conditions contain certain parameters. The uniform separability of the linear problem and the existence and uniqueness of maximal regular solution of nonlinear problem are obtained in L_p spaces. For linear case the discreteness of spectrum of corresponding parameter dependent differential operator is obtained. The behavior of solution when the parameter approaches zero and its smoothness with respect to the parameter is established. Moreover, we show the estimate for analytic semigroups in terms of interpolation spaces. This fact can be used to obtain maximal regularity properties for abstract boundary value problems.     

Topological structure of solution sets to asymptotic boundary value problems

Topological structure is investigated for second-order vector asymptotic boundary value problems. Because of indicated obstructions, the Rδ-structure is firstly studied for problems on compact intervals and then, by means of the inverse limit method, on non-compact intervals. The information about the structure is furthermore employed, by virtue of a fixed-point index technique in Fréchet spaces developed by ourselves earlier, for obtaining an existence result for nonlinear asymptotic problems. Some illustrating examples are supplied.     

Ordinary differential equations on closed subsets of locally convex spaces with applications to fixed point theorems

The construction and convergence of an approximate solution to the initial value problem x′ = f(t, x), x(0) = x₀, defined on closed subsets of locally convex spaces are given. Sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence of an approximate solution are analyzed in relation to the Nagumo boundary condition used in the Banach space case. It is also shown that the Nagumo boundary condition does not guarantee the existence of an approximate solution. Applications to fixed point theorems for weakly inward mappings are given.     

On the singular Weyl-Titchmarsh function of perturbed spherical Schrödinger operators

We investigate the singular Weyl-Titchmarsh m-function of perturbed spherical Schrödinger operators (also known as Bessel operators) under the assumption that the perturbation q(x) satisfies xq(x)∈L¹(0,1). We show existence plus detailed properties of a fundamental system of solutions which are entire with respect to the energy parameter. Based on this we show that the singular m-function belongs to the generalized Nevanlinna class and connect our results with the theory of super singular perturbations.     

Two-dimensional Fuchsian systems and the Chebyshev property

Let (x(t),y(t))^? be a solution of a Fuchsian system of order two with three singular points. The vector space of functions of the form P(t)x(t)+Q(t)y(t), where P,Q are real polynomials, has a natural filtration of vector spaces, according to the asymptotic behavior of the functions at infinity. We describe a two-parameter class of Fuchsian systems, for which the corresponding vector spaces obey the Chebyshev property (the maximal number of isolated zeros of each function is less than the dimension of the vector space). Up to now, only a few particular systems were known to possess such a non-oscillation property. It is remarkable that most of these systems are of the type studied in the present paper. We apply our results in estimating the number of limit cycles that appear after small polynomial perturbations of several quadratic or cubic Hamiltonian systems in the plane.     

Nodal solutions of multi-point boundary value problems

We study the nonlinear boundary value problem consisting of the equation y^″+w(t)f(y)=0 on [a,b] and a multi-point boundary condition. By relating it to the eigenvalues of a linear Sturm-Liouville problem with a two-point separated boundary condition, we obtain results on the existence and nonexistence of nodal solutions of this problem. We also discuss the changes in the existence question for different types of nodal solutions as the problem changes.     

Uniqueness in the Freedericksz transition with weak anchoring

In this paper we consider a boundary value problem for a quasi-linear pendulum equation with non-linear boundary conditions that arises in a classical liquid crystals setup, the Freedericksz transition, which is the simplest opto-electronic switch, the result of competition between reorienting effects of an applied electric field and the anchoring to the bounding surfaces. A change of variables transforms the problem into the equation xττ=−f(x) for τ∈(−T,T), with boundary conditions at τ=?T, for a convex non-linearity f. By analysing an associated inviscid Burgers' equation, we prove uniqueness of monotone solutions in the original non-linear boundary value problem.This result has been for many years conjectured in the liquid crystals literature, e.g. in [E.G. Virga, Variational Theories for Liquid Crystals, Appl. Math. Math. Comput., vol. 8, Chapman & Hall, London, 1994] and in [I.W. Stewart, The Static and Dynamic Continuum Theory of Liquid Crystals: A Mathematical Introduction, Taylor & Francis, London, 2003].     

Existence and nonexistence of positive solutions for a class of nth-order three-point boundary value problems in Banach spaces

By using the fixed-point principle in cone and the fixed-point index theory for strict-set-contraction operator, this paper investigates the existence, nonexistence, and multiplicity of positive solutions for a class of nonlinear three-point boundary value problems of nth-order differential equations in ordered Banach spaces. In addition, an example is included to demonstrate the main results.     

A sum operator equation and applications to nonlinear elastic beam equations and Lane-Emden-Fowler equations

This paper is concerned with an operator equation Ax+Bx+Cx=x on ordered Banach spaces, where A is an increasing α-concave operator, B is an increasing sub-homogeneous operator and C is a homogeneous operator. The existence and uniqueness of its positive solutions is obtained by using the properties of cones and a fixed point theorem for increasing general β-concave operators. As applications, we utilize the fixed point theorems obtained in this paper to study the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions for two classes nonlinear problems which include fourth-order two-point boundary value problems for elastic beam equations and elliptic value problems for Lane-Emden-Fowler equations.     

Degenerate Evolution Equations in Weighted Continuous Function Spaces, Markov Processes and the Black-Scholes Equation-Part II

In this second part of the paper, through applying semigroup theory procedures, we study initial boundary problems associated with degenerate second-order differential operators of the form Lu(x) ? α(x) u″(x)+β(x)u′(x)+γ(x) u(x) in the framework of weighted continuous function spaces on an arbitrary real interval, when particular boundary conditions are imposed. By using the general results stated in the first part, we show that such operators, frequently occurring in Mathematical Finance, generate positive strongly continuous semigroups, which are, in turn, the transition semigroups associated with suitable Markov processes. Finally, an application to the Black-Scholes equation is discussed, as well.     

Robustness of nonuniform exponential dichotomies in Banach spaces

We give conditions for the robustness of nonuniform exponential dichotomies in Banach spaces, in the sense that the existence of an exponential dichotomy for a given linear equation x^′=A(t)x persists under a sufficiently small linear perturbation. We also establish the continuous dependence with the perturbation of the constants in the notion of dichotomy and of the “angles” between the stable and unstable subspaces. Our proofs exhibit (implicitly) the exponential dichotomies of the perturbed equations in terms of fixed points of appropriate contractions. We emphasize that we do not need the notion of admissibility (of bounded nonlinear perturbations). We also obtain related robustness results in the case of nonuniform exponential contractions. In addition, we establish an appropriate version of robustness for nonautonomous dynamical systems with discrete time.     

On the number of limit cycles in small perturbations of a class of hyper-elliptic Hamiltonian systems with one nilpotent saddle

In this paper, we make a complete study on small perturbations of Hamiltonian vector field with a hyper-elliptic Hamiltonian of degree five, which is a Liénard system of the form x^′=y, y^′=Q₁(x)+εyQ₂(x) with Q₁ and Q₂ polynomials of degree respectively 4 and 3. It is shown that this system can undergo degenerated Hopf bifurcation and Poincaré bifurcation, which emerges at most three limit cycles in the plane for sufficiently small positive ε. And the limit cycles can encompass only an equilibrium inside, i.e. the configuration (3,0) of limit cycles can appear for some values of parameters, where (3,0) stands for three limit cycles surrounding an equilibrium and no limit cycles surrounding two equilibria.     

Coupled fixed point theorems for a generalized Meir-Keeler contraction in partially ordered metric spaces

Let X be a non-empty set and F:X×X→X be a given mapping. An element (x,y)∈X×X is said to be a coupled fixed point of the mapping F if F(x,y)=x and F(y,x)=y. In this paper, we consider the case when X is a complete metric space endowed with a partial order. We define generalized Meir-Keeler type functions and we prove some coupled fixed point theorems under a generalized Meir-Keeler contractive condition. Some applications of our obtained results are given. The presented theorems extend and complement the recent fixed point theorems due to Bhaskar and Lakshmikantham [T. Gnana Bhaskar, V. Lakshmikantham, Fixed point theorems in partially ordered metric spaces and applications, Nonlinear Anal. 65 (2006) 1379-1393].     

Characterization of domains of self-adjoint ordinary differential operators

The GKN (Glazman, Krein, Naimark) Theorem characterizes all self-adjoint realizations of linear symmetric (formally self-adjoint) ordinary differential equations in terms of maximal domain functions. These functions depend on the coefficients and this dependence is implicit and complicated. In the regular case an explicit characterization in terms of two-point boundary conditions can be given. In the singular case when the deficiency index d is maximal the GKN characterization can be made more explicit by replacing the maximal domain functions by a solution basis for any real or complex value of the spectral parameter λ. In the much more difficult intermediate cases, not all solutions contribute to the singular self-adjoint conditions. In 1986 Sun found a representation of the self-adjoint singular conditions in terms of certain solutions for nonreal values of λ. In this paper we give a representation in terms of certain solutions for real λ. This leads to a classification of solutions as limit-point (LP) or limit-circle (LC) in analogy with the celebrated Weyl classification in the second-order case. The LC solutions contribute to the singular boundary conditions, the LP solutions do not. The advantage of using real λ is not only because it is, in general, easier to find explicit solutions but, more importantly, it yields information about the spectrum.     

Elliptic problems in generalized Orlicz-Musielak spaces

We consider a strongly nonlinear monotone elliptic problem in generalized Orlicz-Musielak spaces. We assume neither a ??₂ nor ?₂-condition for an inhomogeneous and anisotropic N-function but assume it to be log-H?lder continuous with respect to x. We show the existence of weak solutions to the zero Dirichlet boundary value problem. Within the proof the L ^??-truncation method is coupled with a special version of the Minty-Browder trick for non-reflexive and non-separable Banach spaces.     

Fold completeness of a system of root vectors of a system of unbounded polynomial operator pencils in Banach spaces. II. Application

This paper is a continuation of the author’s paper in 2009,where the abstract theory of fold completeness in Banach spaces has been presented.Using obtained there abstract results,we consider now very general boundary value problems for ODEs and PDEs which polynomially depend on the spectral parameter in both the equation and the boundary conditions.Moreover,equations and boundary conditions may contain abstract operators as well.So,we deal,generally,with integro-differential equations,functional-differential equations,nonlocal boundary conditions,multipoint boundary conditions,integro-differential boundary conditions.We prove n-fold completeness of a system of root functions of considered problems in the corresponding direct sum of Sobolev spaces in the Banach Lq-framework,in contrast to previously known results in the Hilbert L 2-framework.Some concrete mechanical problems are also presented.     

Solving singular two-point boundary value problem in reproducing kernel space

In this paper, we present a new method for solving singular two-point boundary value problem for certain ordinary differential equation having singular coefficients. Its exact solution is represented in the form of series in reproducing kernel space. In the mean time, the n  -term approximation _un(x)$u_n(x)$ to the exact solution u(x)$u(x)$ is obtained and is proved to converge to the exact solution. Some numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the accuracy of the present method. Results obtained by the method are compared with the exact solution of each example and are found to be in good agreement with each other.