Global existence and exponential stability in one-dimensional nonlinear thermoelasticity with thermal memory (Q697516)

The following initial-boundary value problem of one-dimensional nonlinear thermoelasticity with thermal memory is discussed. Find a pair of functions \((u,\theta)\) (\(u\) is displacement, \(\theta\) is temperature) that satisfies the equations \[ \begin{gathered} u_{tt}- [S(u_x,\theta)]_x= 0,\\ (\theta+ \theta_0)[N(u_x, \theta)]_t- [Q(u_x, \theta_x, \theta)]_x- \int^t_0 k(t- \tau)[\psi(\theta_x)]_x\,d\tau= 0\text{ on }(0,1)\times [0,\infty)\end{gathered}\tag{\(*\)} \] subject to initial conditions \[ u(x, 0)= f(x),\quad u_t(x, 0)= g(x),\quad \theta(x, 0)= h(x)\text{ for }x\in (0,1)\tag{\(**\)} \] and boundary conditions \[ u(0, t)= u(1,t)= 0,\quad \theta(0,t)= \theta(1, t)= 0\text{ for }t\geq 0.\tag{\(***\)} \] In equation \((*)\) \(S= S(X,Y)\), \(N= N(X, Y)\), \(Q= Q(X, Z,Y)\), and \(\psi= \psi(Z)\) are prescribed nonlinear functions of their arguments; \(k= k(t)\) is a prescribed relaxation function; moreover, \(\theta_0\) is a reference temperature. In equations \((**)\) \(f= f(x)\), \(g= g(x)\), and \(h= h(x)\) represent the initial data. The authors show that a unique solution to the problem \((*)\)--\((***)\) exists globally in time in a functional space of Sobolev's type, and the solution is exponentially stable in time, if the initial functions \(f(x)\), \(g(x)\), and \(h(x)\) are sufficiently small and the functions \(S\), \(N\), \(Q\), \(\psi\), and \(k\) are suitably restricted (for example, \(S\), \(N\), and \(Q\) are \(C^3\)-functions satisfying a set of inequalities at \(X= 0\), \(Y= 0\), \(Z= 0\), and \(\psi\) is a \(C^2\)-function such that \(\psi'(0)> 0\); also, \(k\) is a \(C^2\)-function that satisfies a set of global inequalities on the time axis). The result presented generalizes that of \textit{R. Racke}, \textit{Y. Shibata} and \textit{S. Zheng} who proved a similar theorem for the case \(k(t)= 0\) [see Q. Appl. Math. 51, 751--763 (1993; Zbl 0804.35132)].