An abstract Volterra operator is, roughly speaking, a compact operator in a Hilbert space whose spectrum consists of a single point $\lambda=0$. The theory of abstract Volterra operators, significantly developed by the authors of the book and their collaborators, represents an important part of the general theory of non-self-adjoint operators in Hilbert spaces. The book, intended for all mathematicians interested in functional analysis and its applications, discusses the main ideas and results of the theory of abstract Volterra operators. Of particular interest to analysts and specialists in differential equations are the results about analytic models of abstract Volterra operators and applications to boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations.
The book presents an introduction to the geometry of Hilbert spaces and operator theory, targeting graduate and senior undergraduate students of mathematics. Major topics discussed in the book are inner product spaces, linear operators, spectral theory and special classes of operators, and Banach spaces. On vector spaces, the structure of inner product is imposed. After discussing geometry of Hilbert spaces, its applications to diverse branches of mathematics have been studied. Along the way are introduced orthogonal polynomials and their use in Fourier series and approximations. Spectrum of an operator is the key to the understanding of the operator. Properties of the spectrum of different classes of operators, such as normal operators, self-adjoint operators, unitaries, isometries and compact operators have been discussed. A large number of examples of operators, along with their spectrum and its splitting into point spectrum, continuous spectrum, residual spectrum, approximate point spectrum and compression spectrum, have been worked out. Spectral theorems for self-adjoint operators, and normal operators, follow the spectral theorem for compact normal operators. The book also discusses invariant subspaces with special attention to the Volterra operator and unbounded operators. In order to make the text as accessible as possible, motivation for the topics is introduced and a greater amount of explanation than is usually found in standard texts on the subject is provided. The abstract theory in the book is supplemented with concrete examples. It is expected that these features will help the reader get a good grasp of the topics discussed. Hints and solutions to all the problems are collected at the end of the book. Additional features are introduced in the book when it becomes imperative. This spirit is kept alive throughout the book.
The present lectures intend to provide an introduction to the spectral analysis of self-adjoint operators within the framework of Hilbert space theory. The guiding notion in this approach is that of spectral representation. At the same time the notion of function of an operator is emphasized. The formal aspects of these concepts are explained in the first two chapters. Only then is the notion of Hilbert space introduced. The following three chapters concern bounded, completely continuous, and non-bounded operators. Next, simple differential operators are treated as operators in Hilbert space, and the final chapter deals with the perturbation of discrete and continuous spectra. The preparation of the original version of these lecture notes was greatly helped by the assistance of P. Rejto. Various valuable suggestions made by him and by R. Lewis have been incorporated. The present version of the notes contains extensive modifica tions, in particular in the chapters on bounded and unbounded operators. February, 1973 K.O.F. PREFACE TO THE SECOND PRINTING The second printing (1980) is a basically unchanged reprint in which a number of minor errors were corrected. The author wishes to thank Klaus Schmidt (Lausanne) and John Sylvester (New York) for their lists of errors. v TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Spectral Representation 1 1. Three typical problems 1 12 2. Linear space and functional representation.
This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the theory of linear and nonlinear Volterra integral equations (VIEs), ranging from Volterra's fundamental contributions and the resulting classical theory to more recent developments that include Volterra functional integral equations with various kinds of delays, VIEs with highly oscillatory kernels, and VIEs with non-compact operators. It will act as a 'stepping stone' to the literature on the advanced theory of VIEs, bringing the reader to the current state of the art in the theory. Each chapter contains a large number of exercises, extending from routine problems illustrating or complementing the theory to challenging open research problems. The increasingly important role of VIEs in the mathematical modelling of phenomena where memory effects play a key role is illustrated with some 30 concrete examples, and the notes at the end of each chapter feature complementary references as a guide to further reading.
