It is shown that for the asymmetric diffusion operator the case when the characteristic determinant is identically equal to zero is impossible and the only possible degenerate boundary conditions are the Cauchy conditions. In the case of a symmetric diffusion operator, the characteristic determinant is identically equal to zero if and only if the boundary conditions are false–periodic boundary conditions and is identically equal to a constant other than zero if and only if its boundary conditions are generalized Cauchy conditions. All degenerate boundary conditions for a spectral problem with a third–order differential equation y'''(x) = λy(x) are described. The general form of degenerate boundary conditions for the fourth–order differentiation operator D4 is found. 12 classes of boundary value eigenvalue problems are described for the operator D4, the spectrum of which fills the entire complex plane. It is known that spectral problems whose spectrum fills the entire complex plane exist for differential equations of any even order. John Locker posed the following problem (eleventh problem): are there similar problems for odd–order differential equations? A positive answer is given to this question. It is proved that spectral problems, the spectrum of which fills the entire complex plane, exist for differential equations of any odd order. Thus, the problem of John Locker is resolved. John Locker posed a problem (tenth problem): can a spectral boundary–value problem have a finite spectrum? Boundary value problems with a polynomial occurrence of a spectral parameter in a differential equation are considered. It is shown that the corresponding boundary–value problem can have a predetermined finite spectrum in the case when the roots of the characteristic equation are multiple. If the roots of the characteristic equation are not multiple, then there can be no finite spectrum. Thus, John Locker’s tenth problem is resolved.
Survey of studies on degenerate boundary conditions and finite spectrum