Stability for abstract linear functional differential equations (Q1076931)

The paper deals with the initial value problem \[ (P)\quad \dot u(t)=Au(t)+A_ 1u(t-r)+\int^{0}_{-r}a(s)A_ 2u(t+s)ds+f(t),\quad 0<t<T, \] \(u(t)=y(t)\), \(-r<t<0\), \(u(0)=x\), in a Hilbert space H. Here \(A:D_ A\subset H\to H\) is the infinitesimal generator of an analytic semigroup, \(A_ 1\) and \(A_ 2\) denote linear continuous operators from \(D_ A\) (endowed with the graph norm) into H, \(a\in L^ 2(-r,0)\), \(f\in L^ 2(0,T;H)\), \(y\in L^ 2(-r,0;D_ A)\), and \(x\in F\), where F is an intermediate space between \(D_ A\) and H. The authors first prove that (P) has a unique solution \(u\in L^ 2(-r,T;D_ A)\cap W^{1,2}(0,T;H)\cap C(0,T;F)\), which depends continuously on (f,x,y). The solution semigroup S(t), \(t\geq 0\) is then defined in the space \(F\times L^ 2(-r,0;D_ A)\) by: \(S(0)=I\), \(S(t)(x,y)=(u(t),u_ t)\) \((t>0)\), where u satisfies (P) with \(f=0\), and \(u_ t(s)=u(t+s)\), \(s\in [-r,0]\). Of special concern is the spectrum of the infinitesimal generator of S(t). The asymptotic behaviour of solutions of (P) where \(f=0\) is next investigated in the discrete delay \((A_ 2=0)\), and distributed delay \((A_ 1=0)\) case, respectively. As an application of the theory, a parabolic second order integrodifferential equation with delay is finally considered.