On the analytic expression of the free energy in linear viscoelasticity (Q1357200)

The authors present a systematic and rigorous analysis of the analytic expression for free energy in linear viscoelasticity whose constitutive equation is a Boltzmann-Volterra equation. The paper starts with the history of the problem and some preliminaries concerning notations, terminology, hypotheses, and the corresponding functional framework (see the authors' papers [Q. Appl. Math. 53, No. 2, 273-300 (1995; Zbl 0855.73026)]). Two definitions of the free energy are considered which are independent of the fading memory norm (constructed by the use of influence functions): the definition due to \textit{D. Graffi} [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl., IV. Ser. 98, 273-279 (1974; Zbl 0281.73027); Rend. Semin. Mat. Univ. Padova 68, 17-29 (1982; Zbl 0535.73029)], and the definition due to \textit{B. D. Coleman} and \textit{D. R. Owen} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 54, 1-104 (1974; Zbl 0306.73004)]. The authors examine consistency and interrelations of these definitions with other definitions and expressions for the free energy proposed earlier in the literature on linear viscoelasticity. In the reviewer's opinion, this paper will be a reference paper in the theory of materials with memory in general, and especially in the linear theory of viscoelasticity.