A characterization of generators of positive translation semigroups (Q1824844)

It is well-known that the first derivative \(A_{\max}f=f'\) with maximal domain \(D(A_{\max})=C^ 1([-1,0],{\mathbb{R}}^ n)\) on the Banach space \(E=C([-1,0],{\mathbb{R}}^ n)\) is not the generator of a strongly continuous semigroup. Here the authors characterize those restrictions A of \(A_{\max}\) which are generators of positive strongly continuous (linear) semigroups. It is shown that all such restrictions are described by specifying their domain as a kernel of a continuous linear mapping from \(C^ 1([-1,0],{\mathbb{R}}^ n)\) to \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\). The clear-cut proof is accompanied by examples involving functional differential equations and (integrated) semigroups associated with non-densely defined operators.