Finding gaps in a spectrum

We propose a method for finding gaps in the spectrum of a differential operator. When applied to the one-dimensional Hamiltonian of the quartic oscillator, a simple algebraic algorithm is proposed that, step by step, separates with a remarkable precision all the energies even for a double-well configuration in a tunnelling regime. Our strategy may be refined and generalized to a large class of 1D-problems. (fast track communication)