Flux-domain realization of a one-dimensional elliptic operator ($D(L)=\{v\in H_0^1(0,1):p{v}^{\prime }\in H^1(0,1)\}$)

For continuous $p>0$ and bounded real $q$, the form $a(u,v)=\int (p{u}^{\prime }{v}^{\prime }+quv)$ on the zero-trace Sobolev space defines the weak operator $L=-(p{u}^{\prime }{)}^{\prime }+qu$. Its literal $L^2$ operator domain is the displayed flux domain. If a weak solution has right-hand side $f\in L^2$, then $(p{u}^{\prime }{)}^{\prime }=qu-f\in L^2$, so it belongs to that domain. This avoids assuming that a merely differentiable coefficient has bounded derivative. With $p\in C^1$ bounded away from zero, the domain reduces to $H^2\cap H_0^1$.