Spectral problems arising in the theory of differential equations with delay (Q556816)

In this survey article, the author gives (in the first part) an overview of (mainly his own) results concerning the solvability of certain linear differential-difference equations of neutral type with coefficients that are unbounded operator-valued functions, operating in a Hilbert space. In addition, in the second part, the author considers the asymptotic behavior of solutions in the case when the Hilbert space is finite-dimensional and there are chains of roots of the characteristic equation that lie on or approach the imaginary axis. In particular, in the first part, the author considers the equation \[ u'(t) + (A + B_0(t)CA)u(t) + \sum^n_{j=1}(B_j(t)S_{g_j}(Au)(t) + D_j(t)S_{g_j}(u')(t)) = f(t), \] on \(\mathbb{R}^+\) with \(A\) selfadjoint, positive, \(u(0+)\) given and in the domain of \(A^\frac12\). Here, \(B_0\), \(B_j\), \(D_j\) are strongly continuous operator-valued taking values in \(L(H,H)\), \(H\) a Hilbert space. \(C\) is a compact operator in \(H\). The functions \(g_j(t)\), \(j = 1,\dots,n\), are real-valued \(C^1\) functions defined on \(\mathbb{R}^+\) such that \(g_j(t)\leq t\), \(g_j'(t)> 0\) and \(g_0(t) = t\). The operators \(S_{g_j}\) are defined by \((S_{g_j}v)(t) = v(g_j(t))\), if \(g_j(t)\geq 0\) and \(S_{g_j(t)}v=0\) otherwise.