Abstract
This article considers inverse problems for a fourth-order hyperbolic equation with involution. The existence and uniqueness of a solution of the studied inverse problems is established by the method of separation of variables. To apply the method of separation of variables, we prove the Riesz basis property of the eigenfunctions for a fourth-order differential operator with involution in the space ${{L}_{2}}(-1,1)$. For proving theorems on the existence and uniqueness of a solution, we widely use the Bessel inequality for the coefficients of expansions into a Fourier series in the space ${{L}_{2}}(-1,1)$. A significant dependence of the existence of a solution on the equation coefficient $\alpha$ is shown. In each of the cases $\alpha <-1$, $\alpha >1$, $-1<\alpha<1$ representations of solutions in the form of Fourier series in terms of eigenfunctions of boundary value problems for a fourth-order equation with involution are written out.