In the classical theory of self-adjoint boundary value problems for linear ordinary differential operators there is a fundamental, but rather mysterious, interplay between the symmetric (conjugate) bilinear scalar product of the basic Hilbert space and the skew-symmetric boundary form of the associated differential expression. This book presents a new conceptual framework, leading to an effective structured method, for analysing and classifying all such self-adjoint boundary conditions. The program is carried out by introducing innovative new mathematical structures which relate the Hilbert space to a complex symplectic space. This work offers the first systematic detailed treatment in the literature of these two topics: complex symplectic spaces--their geometry and linear algebra--and quasi-differential operators.

This investigation introduces a new description and classification for the set of all self-adjoint operators (not just those defined by differential boundary conditions) which are generated by a linear elliptic partial differential expression $A(\mathbf{x}, D)=\sum_{0\, \leq\, \left s\right \, \leq\,2m}a_{s} (\mathbf{x})D DEGREES{s}\;\text{for all}\;\mathbf{x}\in\Omega$ in a region $\Omega$, with compact closure $\overline{\Omega}$ and $C DEGREES{\infty }$-smooth boundary $\partial\Omega$, in Euclidean space $\mathbb{E} DEGREES{r}$ $(r\geq2).$ The order $2m\geq2$ and the spatial dimensio

A multi-interval quasi-differential system $\{I_{r},M_{r},w_{r}:r\in\Omega\}$ consists of a collection of real intervals, $\{I_{r}\}$, as indexed by a finite, or possibly infinite index set $\Omega$ (where $\mathrm{card} (\Omega)\geq\aleph_{0}$ is permissible), on which are assigned ordinary or quasi-differential expressions $M_{r}$ generating unbounded operators in the Hilbert function spaces $L_{r}^{2}\equiv L^{2}(I_{r};w_{r})$, where $w_{r}$ are given, non-negative weight functions. For each fixed $r\in\Omega$ assume that $M_{r}$ is Lagrange symmetric (formally self-adjoint) on $I_{r}$ and hence specifies minimal and maximal closed operators $T_{0,r}$ and $T_{1,r}$, respectively, in $L_{r}^{2}$. However the theory does not require that the corresponding deficiency indices $d_{r}^{-}$ and $d_{r}^{+}$ of $T_{0,r}$ are equal (e. g. the symplectic excess $Ex_{r}=d_{r}^{+}-d_{r}^{-}\neq 0$), in which case there will not exist any self-adjoint extensions of $T_{0,r}$ in $L_{r}^{2}$. In this paper a system Hilbert space $\mathbf{H}:=\sum_{r\,\in\,\Omega}\oplus L_{r}^{2}$ is defined (even for non-countable $\Omega$) with corresponding minimal and maximal system operators $\mathbf{T}_{0}$ and $\mathbf{T}_{1}$ in $\mathbf{H}$. Then the system deficiency indices $\mathbf{d}^{\pm} =\sum_{r\,\in\,\Omega}d_{r}^{\pm}$ are equal (system symplectic excess $Ex=0$), if and only if there exist self-adjoint extensions $\mathbf{T}$ of $\mathbf{T}_{0}$ in $\mathbf{H}$. The existence is shown of a natural bijective correspondence between the set of all such self-adjoint extensions $\mathbf{T}$ of $\mathbf{T}_{0}$, and the set of all complete Lagrangian subspaces $\mathsf{L}$ of the system boundary complex symplectic space $\mathsf{S}=\mathbf{D(T}_{1})/\mathbf{D(T}_{0})$. This result generalizes the earlier symplectic version of the celebrated GKN-Theorem for single interval systems to multi-interval systems. Examples of such complete Lagrangians, for both finite and infinite dimensional complex symplectic $\mathsf{S}$, illuminate new phenoma for the boundary value problems of multi-interval systems. These concepts have applications to many-particle systems of quantum mechanics, and to other physical problems.

Complex symplectic spaces are non-trivial generalizations of the real symplectic spaces of classical analytical dynamics. This title presents a self-contained investigation of general complex symplectic spaces, and their Lagrangian subspaces, regardless of the finite or infinite dimensionality.

In 1910 Herman Weyl published one of the most widely quoted papers of the 20th century in Analysis, which initiated the study of singular Sturm-Liouville problems. The work on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the 1920s and 1930s, including the proof of the spectral theorem for unbounded self-adjoint operators in Hilbert space by von Neumann and Stone, provided some of the motivation for the study of differential operators in Hilbert space with particular emphasis on self-adjoint operators and their spectrum. Since then the topic developed in several directions and many results and applications have been obtained. In this monograph the authors summarize some of these directions discussing self-adjoint, symmetric, and dissipative operators in Hilbert and Symplectic Geometry spaces. Part I of the book covers the theory of differential and quasi-differential expressions and equations, existence and uniqueness of solutions, continuous and differentiable dependence on initial data, adjoint expressions, the Lagrange Identity, minimal and maximal operators, etc. In Part II characterizations of the symmetric, self-adjoint, and dissipative boundary conditions are established. In particular, the authors prove the long standing Deficiency Index Conjecture. In Part III the symmetric and self-adjoint characterizations are extended to two-interval problems. These problems have solutions which have jump discontinuities in the interior of the underlying interval. These jumps may be infinite at singular interior points. Part IV is devoted to the construction of the regular Green's function. The construction presented differs from the usual one as found, for example, in the classical book by Coddington and Levinson.

In 1836-1837 Sturm and Liouville published a series of papers on second order linear ordinary differential operators, which started the subject now known as the Sturm-Liouville problem. In 1910 Hermann Weyl published an article which started the study of singular Sturm-Liouville problems. Since then, the Sturm-Liouville theory remains an intensely active field of research, with many applications in mathematics and mathematical physics. The purpose of the present book is (a) to provide a modern survey of some of the basic properties of Sturm-Liouville theory and (b) to bring the reader to the forefront of knowledge about some aspects of this theory. To use the book, only a basic knowledge of advanced calculus and a rudimentary knowledge of Lebesgue integration and operator theory are assumed. An extensive list of references and examples is provided and numerous open problems are given. The list of examples includes those classical equations and functions associated with the names of Bessel, Fourier, Heun, Ince, Jacobi, Jorgens, Latzko, Legendre, Littlewood-McLeod, Mathieu, Meissner, Morse, as well as examples associated with the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom. Many special functions of applied mathematics and mathematical physics occur in these examples.

This book gives an introduction to distribution theory, based on the work of Schwartz and of many other people. It is the first book to present distribution theory as a standard text. Each chapter has been enhanced with many exercises and examples.