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Comparison theorems for the position-dependent mass Schroedinger equation

The following comparison rules for the discrete spectrum of the position-dependent mass (PDM) Schroedinger equation are established. (i) If a constant mass $m_0$ and a PDM $m(x)$ are ordered everywhere, that is either $m_0\leq m(x)$ or $m_0\geq m(x)$, then the corresponding eigenvalues of the constant-mass Hamiltonian and of the PDM Hamiltonian with the same potential and the BenDaniel-Duke ambiguity parameters are ordered. (ii) The corresponding eigenvalues of PDM Hamiltonians with the different sets of ambiguity parameters are ordered if $\nabla^2 (1/m(x))$ has a definite sign. We prove these statements by using the Hellmann-Feynman theorem and offer examples of their application.