Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

In this dissertation, we study a self-adjoint integral operator $\hat{K}$ which is defined in terms of finite Hilbert transforms on two adjacent intervals. These types of transforms arise when one studies the interior problem of tomography. The operator $\hat{K}$ possesses a so-called "integrable kernel'' and it is known that the spectral properties of $\hat{K}$ are intimately related to a $2\times2$ matrix function $\Gamma(z;\lambda)$ which is the solution to a particular Riemann-Hilbert problem (in the $z$ plane). We express $\Gamma(z;\lambda)$ explicitly in terms of hypergeometric functions and find the small $\lambda$ asymptotics of $\Gamma(z;\lambda)$. This asymptotic analysis is necessary for the spectral analysis of the finite Hilbert transform on multiple adjacent intervals. We show that $\Gamma(z;\lambda)$ also has a jump in the $\lambda$ plane which allows us to compute the jump of the resolvent of $\hat{K}$. This jump is an important step in showing that the finite Hilbert transforms has simple and purely absolutely continuous spectrum. The well known spectral theory now allows us to construct unitary operators which diagonalize the finite Hilbert transforms. Lastly, we mention some future directions which include the many interval scenario and a bispectral property of $\hat{K}$.

2019

Semester

Summer

Tovbis, Alexander

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Mathematics

Mathematics

application/pdf

CFE0007602

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007602

English

August 2019

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

COinS