Focal Boundary Value Problems for Differential and Difference Equations (Mathematics and Its Applications, 436)

The last fifty years have witnessed several monographs and hundreds of research articles on the theory, constructive methods and wide spectrum of applications of boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations. In this vast field of research, the conjugate (Hermite) and the right focal point (Abei) types of problems have received the maximum attention. This is largely due to the fact that these types of problems are basic, in the sense that the methods employed in their study are easily extendable to other types of prob lems. Moreover, the conjugate and the right focal point types of boundary value problems occur frequently in real world problems. In the monograph Boundary Value Problems for Higher Order Differential Equations published in 1986, we addressed the theory of conjugate boundary value problems. At that time the results on right focal point problems were scarce; however, in the last ten years extensive research has been done. In Chapter 1 of the mono graph we offer up-to-date information of this newly developed theory of right focal point boundary value problems. Until twenty years ago Difference Equations were considered as the dis cretizations of the differential equations. Further, it was tacitly taken for granted that the theories of difference and differential equations are parallel. However, striking diversities and wide applications reported in the last two decades have made difference equations one of the major areas of research.