On Positive Definite Kernels of Integral Operators Corresponding to the Boundary Value Problems for Fractional Differential Equations

In the spectral analysis of operators associated with Sturm–Liouville-type boundary value problems for fractional differential equations, the problem of positive definiteness or the problem of Hermitian nonnegativity of the corresponding kernels plays an important role. The present paper is mainly devoted to this problem. It should be noted that the operators under study are non-self-adjoint, their spectral structure is not well investigated. In this paper we use various methods to prove the Hermitian non-negativity of the studied kernels; in particular, a study of matrices that approximate the Green’s function of the boundary value problem for a differential equation of fractional order is carried out. Using the well-known Livshits theorem, it is shown that the system of eigenfunctions of considered operator is complete in the space [Formula: see text]. Generally speaking, it should be noted that this very important problem turned out to be very difficult.