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...

During the last two decades the theory of abstract Volterra equations has under- gone rapid development. To a large extent this was due to the applications of this theory to problems in mathematical physics, such as viscoelasticity, heat conduc- tion in materials with memory, electrodynamics with memory, and to the need of tools to tackle the problems arising in these fields. Many interesting phenomena not found with differential equations but observed in specific examples of Volterra type stimulated research and improved our understanding and knowledge. Al- though this process is still going...