Abstract :
The calculation of time eigenvalues λ of coupled continuous systems can lead to implicit eigenvalue problems. We consider the characteristic function f(λ) = det(M) of such an eigenvalue problem, where the matrix M comprises the boundary conditions. The time eigenvalues are zeros of f, but not all zeros of f are time eigenvalues. To distinguish between the two types of zeros, the contour integral is used. In this article, an algorithm is introduced which allows us to decide whether a zero is a time eigenvalue or not by calculating the contour integral. A recommendation for the parameters of the numerical integration is given. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
