Discreteness of the spectrum in the problem on normal waves in an open inhomogeneous waveguide

We consider the problem on normal waves in an inhomogeneous waveguide structure reduced to a boundary value problem for the longitudinal components of the electromagnetic field in Sobolev spaces. The inhomogeneity of the dielectric filling and the occurrence of the spectral parameter in the transmission conditions necessitate giving a special definition of what a solution of the problem is. To find the solution, we use the variational statement of the problem. The variational problem is reduced to the study of an operator function. We study the properties of the operator function needed for the analysis of its spectral properties. Theorems on the discreteness of the spectrum and on the distribution of the characteristic numbers of the operator function on the complex plane are proved.