General comparison theorems for the Klein-Gordon equation in d dimensions

Abstract: We study bound-state solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation $\varphi^{\prime\prime}(x) =\big[m^2-\big(E-v\,f(x)\big)^2\big] \varphi(x),$ for bounded vector potentials which in one spatial dimension have the form $V(x) = v\,f(x),$ where $f(x)\le 0$ is the shape of a finite symmetric central potential that is monotone non-decreasing on $[0, \infty)$ and vanishes as $x\rightarrow\infty.$ Two principal results are reported. First, it is shown that the eigenvalue problem in the coupling parameter $v$ leads to spectral functions of the form $v= G(E)$ which are concave, and at most uni-modal with a maximum near the lower limit $E = -m$ of the eigenenergy $E \in (-m, \, m)$. This formulation of the spectral problem immediately extends to central potentials in $d > 1$ spatial dimensions. Secondly, for each of the dimension cases, $d=1$ and $d \ge 2$, a comparison theorem is proven, to the effect that if two potential shapes are ordered $f_1(r) \leq f_2(r),$ then so are the corresponding pairs of spectral functions $G_1(E) \leq G_2(E)$ for each of the existing eigenvalues. These results remove the restriction to positive eigenvalues necessitated by earlier comparison theorems for the Klein--Gordon equation.