Semilinear integrodifferential equations of hyperbolic type: existence in the large (Q2568727)

Global existence and uniqueness for the initial value problem of the integro-differential equation \[ \ddot u(t)+Au(t)+\int_0^tB(t-s)u(s)ds=F(u(t))+f(t) \] in a Hilbert space with a positive self-adjoint operator \(A\) is studied. To this end, the existence of a resolvent of the linearized equation and a corresponding variation of constants formula are obtained; moreover, assuming some estimates of \(B\) with respect to \(\sqrt A\), some smoothness estimates are obtained for the resolvent and thus for the solution of the linearized equation. Concering the nonlinearity \(F\), a local Lipschitz type estimate with respect to \(\sqrt A\) is assumed to prove the well-posedness of a local solutions. For global solutions, it is assumed that \(F=\nabla\phi\) where \(|\phi(x)|\leq\varepsilon \|\sqrt Ax\|^2+C_\varepsilon\ell^2(\| x\|)\) and \(\ell\) is defined as an infinite product of iterated logarithms. The result is applied to prove the well-posedness of an equation with memory arising in the study of viscoelasticity.