In mathematics, an analytic semigroup is particular kind of strongly continuous semigroup. Analytic semigroups are used in the solution of partial differential equations; compared to strongly continuous semigroups, analytic semigroups provide better regularity of solutions to initial value problems, better results concerning perturbations of the infinitesimal generator, and a relationship between the type of the semigroup and the spectrum of the infinitesimal generator.

Definition

Let Γ(t)=exp(At) be a strongly continuous one-parameter semigroup on a Banach space (X,||·||) with infinitesimal generator A. Γ is said to be an analytic semigroup if

• for some 0<θ<π/2, the continuous linear operator exp(At):X→X can be extended to t∈Δθ,

• and the usual semigroup conditions hold for s,t: exp(A0)=id, exp(A(t+s))=exp(At) exp(As), and, for each xX, exp(At)x is continuous in t;

• and, for all t∈Δθ\{0}, exp(At) is analytic in t in the sense of the uniform operator topology.

Characterization

The infinitesimal generators of analytic semigroups have the following characterization:

A closed, densely defined linear operator A on a Banach space X is the generator of an analytic semigroup if and only if there exists an ω∈R such that the half-plane Re(λ)ω is contained in the resolvent set of A and, moreover, there is a constant C such that for the resolvent of the operator A we have

for Re(λ)ω. Such operators are called sectorial. If this is the case, then the resolvent set actually contains a sector of the form

for some δ0, and an analogous resolvent estimate holds in this sector. Moreover, the semigroup is represented by

where γ is any curve from e−iθ∞ to e+iθ∞ such that γ lies entirely in the sector

with π/2<θ<π/2+δ.

References