Well-posedness for time-fractional evolution equations by the Yosida approximation

Abstract

We consider an initial value problem for a time-fractional evolution equation in a Hilbert space $X$: $$ \partial_t^α (u(t)-a) = Au(t) \qquad \mbox{for $0<t<T$}, $$ where $\partial_t^α$ denotes a fractional differential operator of Caputo type with order $0<α<1,$ $u\colon (0,T) \to X,$ $a$ describes an initial value, and $A$, with domain $\mathcal{D}(A),$ is the generator of a contraction C$_0$ semigroup in $X$. We prove a fractional Hille-Yosida theorem characterizing the unique existence of a weak solution for every $a\in X$. We also discuss the unique existence of a strong solution for $a \in \mathcal{D}(A),$ as well as the continuity of weak solutions. Our results are applicable, for example, to time-fractional transport equations and Boltzmann equations. The proofs are mainly based on constructing an approximating sequence of solutions using the Yosida approximation.