Consider the differential operator $D:$ $ Du:=\frac{-d^2}{dx^2}u $ on the function space $ C=\{u\in C^2([0,1]):u(0)=u(1)=0\}. $ It's not hard to find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors(eigenfunctions) for $D$ by soloving the eigenvalue problem: $ -u''=\lambda u\qquad u(0)=u(1)=0. $
Here is my question:
For each of the differential operators $D^m(m=2,3,4,\dots)$, what boundary conditions should one choose to ensure that $D^m$ and $D$ share the same [EDIT: set of] eigenfunctions?
Added(Thanks to Michael Renardy): Denote the boundary conditions for $D$ as $Lu=0$ and suppose that $Du=\lambda u$. Then we have $ D^{m}u=\lambda^mu $ and $ L(D^ku)=L(\lambda^k u)=\lambda^k Lu=0\quad k =1,2,\cdots,m-1 $ Now the problem reduce to show that if $D^mu=\lambda^m u$ and $ L(D^ku)=0\quad k =1,2,\cdots,m-1 $ then $Du=\lambda u$.