Suppose $\Phi$ is a nonnegative, locally integrable, radial function on ${\mathbf{R}}^n$, which is nonincreasing in $\left|x\right|$. Set $\left(Tf\right)\left(x\right)={\int }_{R^n}\Phi (x-y)f\left(y\right)dy$ when $f\ge 0$ and $x\in {\mathbf{R}}^n$. Given $1\<p\<\infty$ and $v\ge 0$, we show there exists $C\>0$ so that ${\int }_{{\mathbf{R}}^n}\left(Tf\right)(x{)}^{p}v\left(x\right)dx\le C{\int }_{{\mathbf{R}}^n}f(x{)}^{p}dx$ for all $f\ge 0$, if and only if $C^{\text{'}}\>0$ exists with ${\int }_{Q}T(x_{Q}v\left)\right(x{)}^{p^{\text{'}}}dx\le C^{\text{'}}{\int }_{Q}v\left(x\right)dx\<\infty$ for all dyadic cubes Q, where $p^{\text{'}}=p/(p-1)$. This result is used to refine recent estimates of C.L. Fefferman and D.H. Phong on the distribution of eigenvalues of Schrödinger operators.

Let $L$ be a non-negative self-adjoint operator acting on $L^2\left({ℝ}^n\right)$ satisfying a pointwise Gaussian estimate for its heat kernel. Let $w$ be an $A_r$ weight on ${ℝ}^n\times {ℝ}^n$, $1<r<\infty$. In this article we obtain a weighted atomic decomposition for the weighted Hardy space $H_{L,w}^p({ℝ}^n\times {ℝ}^n)$, $0<p\le 1$ associated to $L$. Based on the atomic decomposition, we show the dual relationship between $H_{L,w}^1({ℝ}^n\times {ℝ}^n)$ and ${\mathrm{BMO}}_{L,w}({ℝ}^n\times {ℝ}^n)$.

We generalize a well-known separation condition of Everitt and Giertz to a class of weighted symmetric partial differential operators defined on domains in ${ℝ}^n$. Also, for symmetric second-order ordinary differential operators we show that ${lim\; sup}_{t\to c}{\left(p{q}^{\text{'}}\right)}^{\text{'}}/q^2=\theta <2$ where $c$ is a singular point guarantees separation of $-{\left(p{y}^{\text{'}}\right)}^{\text{'}}+qy$ on its minimal domain and extend this criterion to the partial differential setting. As a particular example it is shown that $-\Delta y+qy$ is separated on its minimal domain if $q$ is superharmonic. For $n=1$ the criterion...