Convergence of operator semigroups associated with generalised elliptic forms (Q692807)

Let \(j:V \to H\) \((H, V\) Hilbert spaces) be a bounded linear map with dense range. A complex-valued sesquilinear form \(a\) in \(V \times V\) is \(j\)-\textit{elliptic} in \(H\) (with domain \(V)\) if it is continuous and \[ \Re \, a(u, u) - \omega \|j(u)\|^2_H \geq \mu \|u\|^2_V \quad (u \in V) \] for suitable constants \(\omega, \mu,\) the second positive. The (unique) \(m\)-sectorial operator \(A\) \textit{associated with} \((a, j)\) is defined by \[ a(u, v) = (Ay , j(v))_H \quad (v \in V), \tag{1} \] the domain of \(A\) consisting of all \(y = j(u) \in H\) such that there exists \(f = Ay \in H\) satisfying (1). The analytic semigroup \(\{e^{-At}: t \geq 0\}\) is also said to be associated with \((a, j).\) The authors prove results dealing with domination, perturbation and convergence of semigroups associated with \(j\)-forms; convergence is understood in the trace norm and other Schatten norms. They apply the results to boundary value problems for partial differential equations; one such application is to the Laplacian \(\Delta_n\) in a bounded domain with \(C^\infty\) boundary with Robin boundary condition \(\partial u / \partial \nu + k_n u = 0.\)