Beyond partial differential equations. On linear and quasi-linear abstract hyperbolic evolution equations (Q877446)

This well-written work is the outgrowth of a two-semester course on linear semigroup methods, linear and quasi-linear hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations, and the abstract theory of evolution equations, given by the author at the Louisina State University in Baton Rouge. Although the text was written for truly advanced graduate students, it contains a wealth of well presented results on semigroup theory and the theory of evolution equations with applications to hyperbolic equations and systems and will therefore serve as a valuable resource for researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics as well. The monograph is structured in two major parts. The first part, consisting of chapters 2 to 5, provides a thorough introduction to the now classical theory of strongly continuous semigroups on Banach spaces. Since the main focus of the work is on hyperbolic partial differential equations, results on analytic semigroups are omitted. The theory presented is quite self-contained and starts with linear operators on Banach spaces and integration theory of Banach space-valued maps before proceeding to standard generation and perturbation results for strongly continuous semigroups. The second part of the monograph is made up of chapters 6 to 12 and gives an introduction to abstract evolution equations with applications to nonautonomous linear and quasi-linear hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations. The presentation is based on a detailed discussion of \textit{T. Kato}'s paper [Lect. Notes Math. 1540, 103--125 (1993; Zbl 0818.47065)] and is illustrated by examples, including problems from General Relativity and Hermitean hyperbolic systems. The main appeal of the monograph to researchers is twofold. On the one hand the text is abound with nontrivial examples of semigroups and evolution operators from hyperbolic problems in physics and is thus quite different from standard texts on analytic semigroups or typical problems arising in fluid dynamics or engineering. On the other hand the monograph provides a self-contained introduction into the important and very general theory of abstract evolution equations, which brings powerful analytical tools for the study of hyperbolic problems to the fore.