Existence, uniqueness, and longtime behavior for a nonlinear Volterra integrodifferential equation (Q5933752)

A class of nonlinear Volterra integrodifferential equations is considered. These equations govern the evolution of a pair of state variables, which are mutually related by a maximal monotone graph \(\gamma\) in \(\mathbb{R}^2\). The model can be viewed, for instance, as a generalized Stefan problem within the theory of heat conduction in materials with memory. In addition, it can be used for describing some diffusion processes in fractured media. The Volterra integrodifferential equations is considered as a perturbed nonlinear semigroup. The existence and uniqueness of solutions are derived via a fixed-point argument. Moreover, the meaning of \(\gamma\) as a pointwise relationship is recovered almost everywhere, in the case when \(\gamma\) is bounded on bounded subsets. Finally, under some other restrictions on \(\gamma\), the longtime behavior of solutions is investigated, in a more specific context related to the generalized Stefan problem.