A multi-interval quasi-differential system $\{I_{r},M_{r},w_{r}:r\in\Omega\}$ consists of a collection of real intervals, $\{I_{r}\}$, as indexed by a finite, or possibly infinite index set $\Omega$ (where $\mathrm{card} (\Omega)\geq\aleph_{0}$ is permissible), on which are assigned ordinary or quasi-differential expressions $M_{r}$ generating unbounded operators in the Hilbert function spaces $L_{r}^{2}\equiv L^{2}(I_{r};w_{r})$, where $w_{r}$ are given, non-negative weight functions. For each fixed $r\in\Omega$ assume that $M_{r}$ is Lagrange symmetric (formally self-adjoint) on $I_{r}$ and hence specifies minimal and maximal closed operators $T_{0,r}$ and $T_{1,r}$, respectively, in $L_{r}^{2}$. However the theory does not require that the corresponding deficiency indices $d_{r}^{-}$ and $d_{r}^{+}$ of $T_{0,r}$ are equal (e. g. the symplectic excess $Ex_{r}=d_{r}^{+}-d_{r}^{-}\neq 0$), in which case there will not exist any self-adjoint extensions of $T_{0,r}$ in $L_{r}^{2}$.

In this paper a system Hilbert space $\mathbf{H}:=\sum_{r\,\in\,\Omega}\oplus L_{r}^{2}$ is defined (even for non-countable $\Omega$) with corresponding minimal and maximal system operators $\mathbf{T}_{0}$ and $\mathbf{T}_{1}$ in $\mathbf{H}$. Then the system deficiency indices $\mathbf{d}^{\pm} =\sum_{r\,\in\,\Omega}d_{r}^{\pm}$ are equal (system symplectic excess $Ex=0$), if and only if there exist self-adjoint extensions $\mathbf{T}$ of $\mathbf{T}_{0}$ in $\mathbf{H}$. The existence is shown of a natural bijective correspondence between the set of all such self-adjoint extensions $\mathbf{T}$ of $\mathbf{T}_{0}$, and the set of all complete Lagrangian subspaces $\mathsf{L}$ of the system boundary complex symplectic space $\mathsf{S}=\mathbf{D(T}_{1})/\mathbf{D(T}_{0})$. This result generalizes the earlier symplectic version of the celebrated GKN-Theorem for single interval systems to multi-interval systems.

Examples of such complete Lagrangians, for both finite and infinite dimensional complex symplectic $\mathsf{S}$, illuminate new phenoma for the boundary value problems of multi-interval systems. These concepts have applications to many-particle systems of quantum mechanics, and to other physical problems.

Readership

Graduate students and research mathematicians interested in ordinary differential equations and geometry.