Evans Functions, Jost Functions, and Fredholm Determinants

The principal results of this paper consist of an intrinsic definition of the Evans function in terms of newly introduced generalized matrix-valued Jost solutions for general first-order matrix-valued differential equations on the real line, and a proof of the fact that the Evans function, a finite-dimensional determinant by construction, coincides with a modified Fredholm determinant associated with a Birman-Schwinger-type integral operator up to a nonvanishing factor.