The exponential characteristic of first-order linear differential equations and Volterra integral equations of the second kind (Q2654089)

Consider the initial value problem \[ {dy\over dt}= A(t)y+ f(t),\quad y(0)= 0,\quad 0\leq t<\infty,\tag{\(*\)} \] in a Banach space \(X\) under the assumptions that \(f:\mathbb{R}^+\to X\) is continuous and \(A(t): X\to X\) is linear and such that \(\| A(t)\|\leq M<\infty\) for \(t\geq 0\). Let \(E_\alpha\) be the space defined by \[ E_\alpha:= \Biggl\{f\in C(\mathbb{R}^+,X): \varlimsup_{t\to\infty} t^{-1}\ln\| f(t)\|_X\leq\alpha\Biggr\}. \] Let \(x\) denote the greatest lower bound for \(\beta\) such that the space \(E_\beta\) contains all solutions of \((*)\) with \(f\in E_\alpha\). The authors prove that there is a finite interval on which \(x\) is a nondecreasing function of \(\alpha\).