Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 February 2012
The measure of non-compactness of linear integral operators on the half-line [0, ∞) of a special type is studied. In particular, a necessary and sufficient condition is established for an operator of this type to define a compact operator from L2(0, ∞) into itself. These results are then used to discuss the spectrum of second-order differential operators. A necessary and sufficient condition for the spectrum to be discrete is established together with estimates for the distance of a point in the resolvent set from the essential spectrum.