Eigenvalues that are functions

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Let us have the Laplacian on a compact manifold $M$. Suppose I have some equation of the form $$-\Delta u(x) = f(x)u(x).$$ If $f \equiv c$ were a constant, this would be an eigenvalue problem involving the Laplacian. But if $f$ is a function what kind of problem is this? What is it called? Is it well-studied?