For a particular family of long-range potentials $V$, we prove that the eigenvalues of the indefinite Sturm--Liouville operator $A = mathrm{sign}(x)(-Delta + V(x))$ accumulate to zero asymptotically along specific curves in the complex plane. Additio
nally, we relate the asymptotics of complex eigenvalues to the two-term asymptotics of the eigenvalues of associated self-adjoint operators.
We consider a new class of non-self-adjoint matrices that arise from an indefinite self-adjoint linear pencil of matrices, and obtain the spectral asymptotics of the spectra as the size of the matrices diverges to infinity. We prove that the spectrum
is qualitatively different when a certain parameter $c$ equals $0$, and when it is non-zero, and that certain features of the spectrum depend on Diophantine properties of $c$.
We study the spectrum of a one-dimensional Dirac operator pencil, with a coupling constant in front of the potential considered as the spectral parameter. Motivated by recent investigations of graphene waveguides, we focus on the values of the coupli
ng constant for which the kernel of the Dirac operator contains a square integrable function. In physics literature such a function is called a confined zero mode. Several results on the asymptotic distribution of coupling constants giving rise to zero modes are obtained. In particular, we show that this distribution depends in a subtle way on the sign variation and the presence of gaps in the potential. Surprisingly, it also depends on the arithmetic properties of certain quantities determined by the potential. We further observe that variable sign potentials may produce complex eigenvalues of the operator pencil. Some examples and numerical calculations illustrating these phenomena are presented.
