In most physical, chemical, biological and economic phenomena it is quite natural to assume that the system not only depends on the present state but also on past occurrences. These circumstances are mathematically described by partial differential equations with delay. This book presents, in a systematic fashion, how delay equations can be studied

In the dissertation tools for the analysis of well-posedness and asymptotic behaviour of integro-differential equations and delay equations are developed. In the first part (chapter 1 and 2) methods for the determination of the modulus semigroup (smallest dominating C0-semigroup) of a C0-semigroup are provided and applied to various examples such as Volterra semigroups and evolution semigroups and transport evolution equations in networks. The main interest of the second part (chapter 3 and 4) is a type of an integro-differential equation which occurs in the modelling of the flutter of airfoils at subsonic speed. The remarkable property of the equation is the time derivative of the sought function in the integral term. A number of well-posedness criteria are proved for which integration by parts is not possible. The developed methods are also suitable for the derivation of new well-posedness results for other delay semigroups. Corresponding criteria are presented in chapter 4.

This book explores the theory of strongly continuous one-parameter semigroups of linear operators. A special feature of the text is an unusually wide range of applications such as to ordinary and partial differential operators, to delay and Volterra equations, and to control theory. Also, the book places an emphasis on philosophical motivation and the historical background.