Differential Operators and Spectral Theory

This volume contains a collection of original papers in mathematical physics, spectral theory, and differential equations. The papers are dedicated to the outstanding mathematician, Professor M. Sh. Birman, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Contributing authors are leading specialists and close professional colleagues of Birman. The main topics discussed are spectral and scattering theory of differential operators, trace formulas, and boundary value problems for PDEs. Several papers are devoted to the magnetic Schrodinger operator, which is within Birman's current scope of interests and recently has been studied extensively. Included is a detailed survey of his mathematical work and an updated list of his publications.This book is aimed at graduate students and specialists in the above-mentioned branches of mathematics and theoretical physicists. The biographical section will be of interest to readers concerned with the scientific activities of Birman and the history of those branches of analysis and spectral theory where his contributions were important and often decisive. Features: The first detailed survey of Birman's mathematical work; includes an updated bibliography. New material on the history of some branches of analysis. Prominent authors: Lieb, Agmon, Deift, Simon, Ladyzhenskaya, and others. All original works, containing new results in fields of great current interest.