Lagrange identity for a Sturm-Liouville operator (source code)

= Lagrange identity for a Sturm-Liouville operator
{c}
{title2=$uL(v)-vL(u)=[p(uv'-vu')]'$}

For $L(v)=(pv')'+av$, direct differentiation gives $uL(v)-vL(u)=[p(uv'-vu')]'$. The potential terms cancel. Integrating with common homogeneous <Dirichlet boundary conditions> eliminates the endpoint term. If $L(u)=0$ and $L(v)=f$, this gives $\int uf=0$, a necessary <solvability condition> for the inhomogeneous equation.