Spectral Theory for the Differential Equation Lu= λ Mu

Abstract

Let L and M be linear ordinary differential operators defined on an interval I, not necessarily bounded, of the real line. We wish to consider the expansion of arbitrary functions in eigenfunctions of the differential equation Lu = λMu on I. The case where M is the identity operator and L has a self-adjoint realization as an operator in the Hilbert space L 2(I) has been treated in various ways by several authors; an extensive bibliography may be found in (4) or (8).