This book provides an introduction to the most recent developments in the theory and practice of direct and inverse Sturm-Liouville problems on finite and infinite intervals. A universal approach for practical solving of direct and inverse spectral and scattering problems is presented, based on the notion of transmutation (transformation) operators and their efficient construction. Analytical representations for solutions of Sturm-Liouville equations as well as for the integral kernels of the transmutation operators are derived in the form of functional series revealing interesting special features and lending themselves to direct and simple numerical solution of a wide variety of problems. The book is written for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for mathematicians, physicists and engineers interested in direct and inverse spectral problems.

This book provides an introduction to the most recent developments in the theory and practice of direct and inverse Sturm-Liouville problems on finite and infinite intervals. A universal approach for practical solving of direct and inverse spectral and scattering problems is presented, based on the notion of transmutation (transformation) operators and their efficient construction. Analytical representations for solutions of Sturm-Liouville equations as well as for the integral kernels of the transmutation operators are derived in the form of functional series revealing interesting special features and lending themselves to direct and simple numerical solution of a wide variety of problems. The book is written for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for mathematicians, physicists and engineers interested in direct and inverse spectral problems.

The interest in inverse problems of spectral analysis has increased considerably in recent years due to the applications to important non-linear equations in mathematical physics. This monograph is devoted to the detailed theory of inverse problems and methods of their solution for the Sturm-Liouville case. Chapters 1--6 contain proofs which are, in many cases, very different from those known earlier. Chapters 4--6 are devoted to inverse problems of quantum scattering theory with attention being focused on physical applications. Chapters 7--11 are based on the author's recent research on the theory of finite- and infinite-zone potentials. A chapter discussing the applications to the Korteweg--de Vries problem is also included. This monograph is important reading for all researchers in the field of mathematics and physics.

This book presents the main results and methods on inverse spectral problems for Sturm-Liouville differential operators and their applications. Inverse problems of spectral analysis consist in recovering operators from their spectral characteristics. Such problems often appear in mathematics, mechanics, physics, electronics, geophysics, meteorology and other branches of natural sciences. Inverse problems also play an important role in solving non-linear evolution equations in mathematical physics. Interest in this subject has been increasing permanently because of the appearance of new important applications, resulting in intensive study of inverse problem theory all over the world.

Considering that the motion of strings with finitely many masses on them is described by difference equations, this book presents the spectral theory of such problems on finite graphs of strings. The direct problem of finding the eigenvalues as well as the inverse problem of finding strings with a prescribed spectrum are considered. This monograph gives a comprehensive and self-contained account on the subject, thereby also generalizing known results. The interplay between the representation of rational functions and their zeros and poles is at the center of the methods used. The book also unravels connections between finite dimensional and infinite dimensional spectral problems on graphs, and between self-adjoint and non-self-adjoint finite-dimensional problems. This book is addressed to researchers in spectral theory of differential and difference equations as well as physicists and engineers who may apply the presented results and methods to their research.

This is a collection of survey articles based on lectures presented at a colloquium and workshop in Geneva in 2003 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles François Sturm. It aims at giving an overview of the development of Sturm-Liouville theory from its historical roots to present day research. It is the first time that such a comprehensive survey has been made available in compact form. The contributions come from internationally renowned experts and cover a wide range of developments of the theory. The book can therefore serve both as an introduction to Sturm-Liouville theory and as background for ongoing research. The volume is addressed to researchers in related areas, to advanced students and to those interested in the historical development of mathematics. The book will also be of interest to those involved in applications of the theory to diverse areas such as engineering, fluid dynamics and computational spectral analysis.

The interest in inverse problems of spectral analysis has increased considerably in recent years due to the applications to important non-linear equations in mathematical physics. This monograph is devoted to the detailed theory of inverse problems and methods of their solution for the Sturm-Liouville case. Chapters 1--6 contain proofs which are, in many cases, very different from those known earlier. Chapters 4--6 are devoted to inverse problems of quantum scattering theory with attention being focused on physical applications. Chapters 7--11 are based on the author's recent research on the theory of finite- and infinite-zone potentials. A chapter discussing the applications to the Korteweg--de Vries problem is also included. This monograph is important reading for all researchers in the field of mathematics and physics.