This means that semigroup theory may be applied directly to the study of the equation I'!.f = h on M. In [45] Yau proves that, for h ~ 0, there are no nonconstant, nonnegative solutions f in [j' for 1

The series is devoted to the publication of monographs and high-level textbooks in mathematics, mathematical methods and their applications. Apart from covering important areas of current interest, a major aim is to make topics of an interdisciplinary nature accessible to the non-specialist. The works in this series are addressed to advanced students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics. In addition, it can serve as a guide for lectures and seminars on a graduate level. The series de Gruyter Studies in Mathematics was founded ca. 30 years ago by the late Professor Heinz Bauer and Professor Peter Gabriel with the aim to establish a series of monographs and textbooks of high standard, written by scholars with an international reputation presenting current fields of research in pure and applied mathematics. While the editorial board of the Studies has changed with the years, the aspirations of the Studies are unchanged. In times of rapid growth of mathematical knowledge carefully written monographs and textbooks written by experts are needed more than ever, not least to pave the way for the next generation of mathematicians. In this sense the editorial board and the publisher of the Studies are devoted to continue the Studies as a service to the mathematical community. Please submit any book proposals to Niels Jacob.

These Proceedings comprise the bulk of the papers presented at the Inter national Conference on Semigroups of Opemtors: Theory and Contro~ held 14-18 December 1998, Newport Beach, California, U.S.A. The intent of the Conference was to highlight recent advances in the the ory of Semigroups of Operators which provides the abstract framework for the time-domain solutions of time-invariant boundary-value/initial-value problems of partial differential equations. There is of course a firewall between the ab stract theory and the applications and one of the Conference aims was to bring together both in the hope that it may be of value to both communities. In these days when all scientific activity is judged by its value on "dot com" it is not surprising that mathematical analysis that holds no promise of an immediate commercial product-line, or even a software tool-box, is not high in research priority. We are particularly pleased therefore that the National Science Foundation provided generous financial support without which this Conference would have been impossible to organize. Our special thanks to Dr. Kishan Baheti, Program Manager.

The asymptotic behaviour, in particular "stability" in some sense, is studied systematically for discrete and for continuous linear dynamical systems on Banach spaces. Of particular concern is convergence to an equilibrium with respect to various topologies. Parallels and differences between the discrete and the continuous situation are emphasised.