The last fifty years have witnessed several monographs and hundreds of research articles on the theory, constructive methods and wide spectrum of applications of boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations. In this vast field of research, the conjugate (Hermite) and the right focal point (Abei) types of problems have received the maximum attention. This is largely due to the fact that these types of problems are basic, in the sense that the methods employed in their study are easily extendable to other types of prob lems. Moreover, the conjugate and the right focal point types of boundary value problems occur frequently in real world problems. In the monograph Boundary Value Problems for Higher Order Differential Equations published in 1986, we addressed the theory of conjugate boundary value problems. At that time the results on right focal point problems were scarce; however, in the last ten years extensive research has been done. In Chapter 1 of the mono graph we offer up-to-date information of this newly developed theory of right focal point boundary value problems. Until twenty years ago Difference Equations were considered as the dis cretizations of the differential equations. Further, it was tacitly taken for granted that the theories of difference and differential equations are parallel. However, striking diversities and wide applications reported in the last two decades have made difference equations one of the major areas of research.

Functional differential equations have received attention since the 1920's. Within that development, boundary value problems have played a prominent role in both the theory and applications dating back to the 1960's. This book attempts to present some of the more recent developments from a cross-section of views on boundary value problems for functional differential equations.Contributions represent not only a flavor of classical results involving, for example, linear methods and oscillation-nonoscillation techiques, but also modern nonlinear methods for problems involving stability and control as well as cone theoretic, degree theoretic, and topological transversality strategies. A balance with applications is provided through a number of papers dealing with a pendulum with dry friction, heat conduction in a thin stretched resistance wire, problems involving singularities, impulsive systems, traveling waves, climate modeling, and economic control.With the importance of boundary value problems for functional differential equations in applications, it is not surprising that as new applications arise, modifications are required for even the definitions of the basic equations. This is the case for some of the papers contributed by the Perm seminar participants. Also, some contributions are devoted to delay Fredholm integral equations, while a few papers deal with what might be termed as boundary value problems for delay-difference equations.

The volume contains carefully selected papers presented at the International Conference on Differential & Difference Equations and Applications held in Ponta Delgada – Azores, from July 4-8, 2011 in honor of Professor Ravi P. Agarwal. The objective of the gathering was to bring together researchers in the fields of differential & difference equations and to promote the exchange of ideas and research. The papers cover all areas of differential and difference equations with a special emphasis on applications.

Contents: Some ExamplesLinear ProblemsGreen's FunctionMethod of Complementary FunctionsMethod of AdjointsMethod of ChasingSecond Order EquationsError Estimates in Polynomial InterpolationExistence and UniquenessPicard's and Approximate Picard's MethodQuasilinearization and Approximate QuasilinearizationBest Possible Results: Weight Function TechniqueBest Possible Results: Shooting MethodsMonotone Convergence and Further ExistenceUniqueness Implies ExistenceCompactness Condition and Generalized SolutionsUniqueness Implies UniquenessBoundary Value FunctionsTopological MethodsBest Possible Results: Control Theory MethodsMatching MethodsMaximal SolutionsMaximum PrincipleInfinite Interval ProblemsEquations with Deviating Arguments Readership: Graduate students, numerical analysts as well as researchers who are studying open problems. Keywords:Boundary Value Problems;Ordinary Differential Equations;Green's Function;Quasilinearization;Shooting Methods;Maximal Solutions;Infinite Interval Problems

Infinite interval problems abound in nature and yet until now there has been no book dealing with such problems. The main reason for this seems to be that until the 1970's for the infinite interval problem all the theoretical results available required rather technical hypotheses and were applicable only to narrowly defined classes of problems. Thus scientists mainly offer~d and used special devices to construct the numerical solution assuming tacitly the existence of a solution. In recent years a mixture of classical analysis and modern fixed point theory has been employed to study the existence of solutions to infinite interval problems. This has resulted in widely applicable results. This monograph is a cumulation mainly of the authors' research over a period of more than ten years and offers easily verifiable existence criteria for differential, difference and integral equations over the infinite interval. An important feature of this monograph is that we illustrate almost all the results with examples. The plan of this monograph is as follows. In Chapter 1 we present the existence theory for second order boundary value problems on infinite intervals. We begin with several examples which model real world phenom ena. A brief history of the infinite interval problem is also included. We then present general existence results for several different types of boundary value problems. Here we note that for the infinite interval problem only two major approaches are available in the literature.

In analysing nonlinear phenomena many mathematical models give rise to problems for which only nonnegative solutions make sense. In the last few years this discipline has grown dramatically. This state-of-the-art volume offers the authors' recent work, reflecting some of the major advances in the field as well as the diversity of the subject. Audience: This volume will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in mathematical analysis and its applications, whose work involves ordinary differential equations, finite differences and integral equations.

This text provides the first comprehensive treatment of the discrete fractional calculus. Experienced researchers will find the text useful as a reference for discrete fractional calculus and topics of current interest. Students who are interested in learning about discrete fractional calculus will find this text to provide a useful starting point. Several exercises are offered at the end of each chapter and select answers have been provided at the end of the book. The presentation of the content is designed to give ample flexibility for potential use in a myriad of courses and for independent study. The novel approach taken by the authors includes a simultaneous treatment of the fractional- and integer-order difference calculus (on a variety of time scales, including both the usual forward and backwards difference operators). The reader will acquire a solid foundation in the classical topics of the discrete calculus while being introduced to exciting recent developments, bringing them to the frontiers of the subject. Most chapters may be covered or omitted, depending upon the background of the student. For example, the text may be used as a primary reference in an introductory course for difference equations which also includes discrete fractional calculus. Chapters 1—2 provide a basic introduction to the delta calculus including fractional calculus on the set of integers. For courses where students already have background in elementary real analysis, Chapters 1—2 may be covered quickly and readers may then skip to Chapters 6—7 which present some basic results in fractional boundary value problems (FBVPs). Chapters 6—7 in conjunction with some of the current literature listed in the Bibliography can provide a basis for a seminar in the current theory of FBVPs. For a two-semester course, Chapters 1—5 may be covered in depth, providing a very thorough introduction to both the discrete fractional calculus as well as the integer-order calculus.