Birkhauser Evolutionary Integral Equations and Applications: v. 87 (Monographs in Mathematics)

This book deals with evolutionary systems whose equation of state can be formulated as a linear Volterra equation in a Banach space. The main feature of the kernels involved is that they consist of unbounded linear operators. The aim is a coherent presentation of the state of art of the theory including detailed proofs and its applications to problems from mathematical physics, such as viscoelasticity, heat conduction, and electrodynamics with memory. The importance of evolutionary integral equations - which form a larger class than do evolution equations - stems from such applications and therefore special emphasis is placed on these. A number of models are derived and, by means of the developed theory, discussed thoroughly. An annotated bibliography containing 450 entries increases the book's value as an incisive reference text.