POWERS OF REAL SYMMETRIC DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSIONS WITHOUT SMOOTHNESS ASSUMPTIONS

Abstract

In recent years many authors have studied properties of powers of symmetric (formally self-adjoint) ordinary linear differential expressions. So that these powers can be formed in the classical way these authors have placed heavy smoothness assumptions on the coefficients. Here we show that no differentiability conditions whatsoever are needed on the coefficients in order to form powers of a given expression-provided these powers are formed in the quasi-differential sense rather than the classical one.