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The limit point and limit circle classification of real Sturm-Liouville problems by H. Weyl more than 100 years ago was extended by A.R. Sims around 60 years ago to the case when the coefficients are complex. Here, the main result is a collection of various criteria which allow us to decide to which class of Sims' scheme a given Sturm-Liouville problem with complex coefficients belongs. This is subsequently applied to a second order differential equation defined on a ray in $\mathbb C$ which is motivated by the recent intensive research connected with $\mathcal P \mathcal T$-symmetric Hamiltonians.

We study singular Sturm-Liouville operators of the form \[ \frac{1}{r_j}\left(-\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm dx}p_j\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm dx}+q_j\right),\qquad j=0,1, \] in $L^2((a,b);r_j)$, where, in contrast to the usual assumptions, the weight functions $r_j$ have different signs near the singular endpoints $a$ and $b$. In this situation the associated maximal operators become self-adjoint with respect to indefinite inner products and their spectral properties differ essentially from the Hilbert space situation. We investigate the essential spectra and accumulation properties of nonreal and real discrete eigenvalues; we emphasize that here also perturbations of the indefinite weights $r_j$ are allowed. Special attention is paid to Kneser type results in the indefinite setting and to $L^1$ perturbations of periodic operators.

We study a two-point boundary value problem for a linear differen\-tial-algebraic equation with constant coefficients by using the method of parameterization. The parameter is set as the value of the continuously differentiable component of the solution at the left endpoint of the interval. Applying the Weierstrass canonical form to the matrix pair associated with the differential-algebraic equation, we obtain a criterion for the unique solvability of the problem.

In this note we provide estimates for the lower bound of the self-adjoint operator associated with the three-coefficient Sturm-Liouville differential expression $$ \frac{1}{r} \left(-\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm dx} p \frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm dx} + q\right) $$ in the weighted $L^2$-Hilbert space $L^2(\mathbb R; rdx)$.

A square matrix $A$ has the usual Jordan canonical form that describes the structure of $A$ via eigenvalues and the corresponding Jordan blocks. If $A$ is a linear relation in a finite-dimensional linear space ${\mathfrak H}$ (i.e., $A$ is a linear subspace of ${\mathfrak H} \times {\mathfrak H}$ and can be considered as a multivalued linear operator), then there is a richer structure. In addition to the classical Jordan chains (interpreted in the Cartesian product ${\mathfrak H} \times {\mathfrak H}$), there occur three more classes of chains: chains starting at zero (the chains for the eigenvalue infinity), chains starting at zero and also ending at zero (the singular chains), and chains with linearly independent entries (the shift chains). These four types of chains give rise to a direct sum decomposition (a Jordan-like decomposition) of the linear relation $A$. In this decomposition there is a completely singular part that has the extended complex plane as eigenvalues; a usual Jordan part that corresponds to the finite proper eigenvalues; a Jordan part that corresponds to the eigenvalue $\infty$; and a multishift, i.e., a part that has no eigenvalues at all. Furthermore, the Jordan-like decomposition exhibits a certain uniqueness, closing a gap in earlier results. The presentation is purely algebraic, only the structure of linear spaces is used. Moreover, the presentation has a uniform character: each of the above types is constructed via an appropriately chosen sequence of quotient spaces. The dimensions of the spaces are the Weyr characteristics, which uniquely determine the Jordan-like decomposition of the linear relation.

Singular chain spaces for linear relations in linear spaces play a fundamental role in the decomposition of linear relations in finite-dimensional spaces. In this paper singular chains and singular chain spaces are discussed in detail for not necessarily finite-dimensional linear spaces. This leads to an identity characterizing a singular chain space in terms of root spaces. The so-called proper eigenvalues of a linear relation play an important role in the finite-dimensional case.

Given a positive definite matrix $A\in \mathbb{C}^{n\times n}$ and a Hermitian matrix $D\in \mathbb{C}^{m\times m}$, we characterize under which conditions there exists a strictly contractive matrix $K\in \mathbb{C}^{n\times m}$ such that the non-Hermitian block-matrix \[ \left[ \begin{array}{cc} A & -AK \\ K^*A & D \end{array} \right] \] has a positive definite Schur complement with respect to its submatrix~$A$. Additionally, we show that~$K$ can be chosen such that diagonalizability of the block-matrix is guaranteed and we compute its spectrum. Moreover, we show a connection to the recently developed frame theory for Krein spaces., Comment: 15 pages, this is a corrected and enhanced version of the originally submitted manuscript

We elaborate on the deviation of the Jordan structures of two linear relations that are finite-dimensional perturbations of each other. We compare their number of Jordan chains of length at least $n$. In the operator case, it was recently proved that the difference of these numbers is independent of $n$ and is at most the defect between the operators. One of the main results of this paper shows that in the case of linear relations this number has to be multiplied by $n+1$ and that this bound is sharp. The reason for this behavior is the existence of singular chains. We apply our results to one-dimensional perturbations of singular and regular matrix pencils. This is done by representing matrix pencils via linear relations. This technique allows for both proving known results for regular pencils as well as new results for singular ones., Comment: 32 pages

A $J$-frame is a frame $\mathcal{F}$ for a Krein space $(\mathcal{H}, [\, , \,])$ which is compatible with the indefinite inner product $[\, , \, ]$ in the sense that it induces an indefinite reconstruction formula that resembles those produced by orthonormal bases in $\mathcal{H}$. With every $J$-frame the so-called $J$-frame operator is associated, which is a self-adjoint operator in the Krein space $\mathcal{H}$. The $J$-frame operator plays an essential role in the indefinite reconstruction formula. In this paper we characterize the class of $J$-frame operators in a Krein space by a $2\times 2$ block operator representation. The $J$-frame bounds of $\mathcal{F}$ are then recovered as the suprema and infima of the numerical ranges of some uniformly positive operators which are build from the entries of the $2\times 2$ block representation. Moreover, this $2\times 2$ block representation is utilized to obtain enclosures for the spectrum of $J$-frame operators, which finally leads to the construction of a square root. This square root allows a complete description of all $J$-frames associated with a given $J$-frame operator.

A regular matrix pencil sE-A and its rank one perturbations are considered. We determine the sets in the extended complex plane which are the eigenvalues of the perturbed pencil. We show that the largest Jordan chains at each eigenvalue of sE-A may disappear and the sum of the length of all destroyed Jordan chains is the number of eigenvalues (counted with multiplicities) which can be placed arbitrarily in the extended complex plane. We prove sharp upper and lower bounds of the change of the algebraic and geometric multiplicity of an eigenvalue under rank one perturbations. Finally we apply our results to a pole placement problem for a single-input differential algebraic equation with feedback.

In this paper the properties of right invertible row operators, i.e., of 1X2 surjective operator matrices are studied. This investigation is based on a specific space decomposition. Using this decomposition, we characterize the invertibility of a 2X2 operator matrix. As an application, the invertibility of Hamiltonian operator matrices is investigated.

Variational principles are proved for self-adjoint operator functions arising from variational evolution equations of the form \[ \langle\ddot{z}(t),y \rangle + \mathfrak{d}[\dot{z} (t), y] + \mathfrak{a}_0 [z(t),y] = 0. \] Here $\mathfrak{a}_0$ and $\mathfrak{d}$ are densely defined, symmetric and positive sesquilinear forms on a Hilbert space $H$. We associate with the variational evolution equation an equivalent Cauchy problem corresponding to a block operator matrix $\mathcal{A}$, the forms \[ \mathfrak{t}(\lambda)[x,y] := \lambda^2\langle x,y\rangle + \lambda\mathfrak{d}[x,y] + \mathfrak{a}_0[x,y], \] where $\lambda\in \mathbb C$ and $x,y$ are in the domain of the form $\mathfrak{a}_0$, and a corresponding operator family $T(\lambda)$. Using form methods we define a generalized Rayleigh functional and characterize the eigenvalues above the essential spectrum of $\mathcal{A}$ by a min-max and a max-min variational principle. The obtained results are illustrated with a damped beam equation., Comment: to appear in Operators and Matrices

We introduce the notion of spectral points of type $\pi_+$ and type $\pi_-$ of closed operators $A$ in a Hilbert space which is equipped with an indefinite inner product. It is shown that these points are stable under compact perturbations. In the second part of the paper we assume that $A$ is symmetric with respect to the indefinite inner product and prove that the growth of the resolvent of $A$ is of finite order in a neighborhood of a real spectral point of type $\pi_+$ or $\pi_-$ which is not in the interior of the spectrum of $A$. Finally, we prove that there exists a local spectral function on intervals of type $\pi_+$ or $\pi_-$., Comment: 27 pages

A general result on the structure and dimension of the root subspaces of a matrix or a linear operator under finite rank perturbations is proved: The increase of dimension from the $n$-th power of the kernel of the perturbed operator to the $(n+1)$-th power differs from the increase of dimension of the corresponding powers of the kernels of the unperturbed operator by at most the rank of the perturbation and this bound is sharp.

We define and characterize the Krein space numerical range $W(A)$ and the Krein space co-numerical range $W_{\rm co}(A)$ of a non-negative operator $A$ in a Krein space. It is shown that the non-zero spectrum of $A$ is contained in the closure of $W(A)\cap W_{\rm co}(A)$., Comment: 17 pages

The spectral properties of a singular left-definite Sturm-Liouville operator $JA$ are investigated and described via the properties of the corresponding right-definite selfadjoint counterpart $A$ which is obtained by substituting the indefinite weight function by its absolute value. The spectrum of the $J$-selfadjoint operator $JA$ is real and it follows that an interval $(a,b)\subset\mathbb R^+$ is a gap in the essential spectrum of $A$ if and only if both intervals $(-b,-a)$ and $(a,b)$ are gaps in the essential spectrum of the $J$-selfadjoint operator $JA$. As one of the main results it is shown that the number of eigenvalues of $JA$ in $(-b,-a) \cup (a,b)$ differs at most by three of the number of eigenvalues of $A$ in the gap $(a,b)$; as a byproduct results on the accumulation of eigenvalues of singular left-definite Sturm-Liouville operators are obtained. Furthermore, left-definite problems with symmetric and periodic coefficients are treated, and several examples are included to illustrate the general results., Comment: to appear in J. Spectral Theory