The abstract Cauchy problem for dissipative operators with respect to metric-like functionals (Q401382)

A celebrated result of \textit{R. H. Martin jun.} [J. Funct. Anal. 11, 62--76 (1972; Zbl 0249.47065)] asserts that a semigroup of contractions on a closed subset of a Banach space is generated by a nonlinear operator if and only if this operator satisfies a dissipativity condition and a subtangential condition. The present paper generalizes this result in many ways, providing as a main result a characterization theorem for semigroups of Lipschitz operators defined on a closed subset of a Banach space. The disspativity condition is defined in terms of a nonnegative, Lipschitz continuous functional (called in the paper a metric-like functional), being localized with respect to a \(d\)-uple of Lyapunov functionals. The subtangential condition is also localized by means of the same \(d\)-uple of Lyapunov functionals, while also involving growth estimations in terms of a so-called comparison functional. The proof of the characterization theorem involves the construction of families of approximate solutions (called regularly approximate solutions in the paper) satisfying certain quantitative estimations, by means of a rather involved argument relying upon transfinite induction. The convergence of a family of regularly approximate solutions to a so-called regularly mild solution (which is the notion of solution used in this paper) is proved by means of a key lemma providing an estimation of the difference between two approximate solutions. Finally, the existence of a solution of the mixed problem for the Kirchhoff equations with acoustic boundary conditions is determined by employing the previously mentioned abstract result and constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals and metric-like functionals.