The exact solution of a linear integral equation with weakly singular kernel (Q929549)

The paper deals with the weakly-singular linear Volterra integral equation of the second kind \[ u(t)+\int_a^t\frac{H(t,s)}{(t-s)^\alpha }u(s) \,ds=f(t),\quad 0<\alpha <1,\;a\leq t\leq b. \] The unique solution of the equation belongs to \(W_2^1[a,b]\) which is proved to be a reproducing kernel space with simple reproducing kernel. The expression of the reproducing kernel is given. The reproducing kernel method of a linear operator equation \(Au=f\) , which requests the image space of the operator \(A\) is \(W_2^1[a,b]\) and the operator \(A\) is bounded, is improved. Namely, the request for the image space is weakened to be \(L^2[a,b],\) and the boundedness of the operator \(A\) is also not required. The authors give the exact solution of the equation, denoted by a series in the reproducing kernel space \(W_2^1[a,b].\) After truncating the series, the approximate solution (which converges uniformly to the exact solution) is obtained. The effectiveness of the method is shown by the numerical experiments.