Recovering a leading coefficient and a memory kernel in first-order integro-differential operator equations. (Q1405305)

The present paper is devoted to the study of the integro-differential equation \[ u^{\prime}(t)=a(t)Au(t)+\int^{t}_{0}k(t-s)Bu(s)ds+f(t),\;\;t\in [0,T]\tag{1} \] with the initial condition \(u(0)=u_0 \in D(A)\) in a Banach space \(X\). Here \(A\) and \(B\) are linear closed operators in \(X\) and \(f\) is a given function. It is investigated the problem to find a solution \(u\) of the equation (1) together with unknown both the coefficient \(a\) and the kernel \(k\). Assumptions are given when the above so-called identifcation problem for the equation (1) admits a solution \((u,a,k)\) in a special space of functions, and when such a solution is unique. In particular, these assumptions involve the properties which garantee that the operator \(A\) generates an analytic semigroup of linear bounded operators from \(X\) into itself, and two pieces of additional information. The proof of the main result is based on a reduction of the considered problem to a fixed-point system of three operator equations with using the mapping properties of certain operators in special Banach spaces and the Banach fixed point theorem. Applications are given to the evolution equation of parabolic type related to a domain \(\Omega\) in \({\mathbb R}^n\) \[ D_tu(t,x)=a(t){\mathcal A}u(t,x)+\int^{t}_{0}k(t-s){\mathcal B}u(s,x)ds+f(t),\;\;(t,x)\in [0,T]\times \Omega,\tag{2} \] with the second order linear differential operators \[ {\mathcal A}=\sum_{0\leq | \gamma | \leq 2}a_{\gamma}(x)D^{\gamma}\text{ and }{\mathcal B}=\sum_{0\leq | \gamma |\leq 2}b_{\gamma}(x)D^{\gamma}. \] See in this connecton the paper by \textit{A. Lorenzi} and \textit{E. Sinestrari} [Nonlinear Anal., Theory Methods Appl. 12, No. 12, 1317--1335 (1988; Zbl 0673.45010)].