Nonlinear Analysis 70 (2009) 27312735

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Nonlinear Analysis
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/na

Some properties of pseudo-almost automorphic functions and

applications to abstract differential equations
Jin Liang a,d , Gaston M. NGurkata b , Ti-Jun Xiao c,d, , Jun Zhang d
a Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, Peoples Republic of China
b Department of Mathematics, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA
c School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples Republic of China
d Department of Mathematics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Peoples Republic of China

article info a b s t r a c t

Article history: This paper is concerned with some properties of pseudo-almost automorphic functions,
Received 22 November 2007 which are more general and complicated than pseudo-almost periodic functions. Using
Accepted 31 March 2008 these properties, we establish an existence and uniqueness theorem for pseudo-almost
automorphic mild solutions to semilinear differential equations in a Banach space.
MSC: 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
44A35
42A85
42A75

Keywords:
Almost automorphic
Pseudo-almost automorphic
Composition
C0 -semigroup of contractions
Abstract equation
Mild solution

1. Introduction

In this paper, first we extend further some basic properties of almost automorphic functions, from another perspective.
We study compositions of pseudo-almost automorphic functions under conditions which are weaker than the Lipschitz
condition. Furthermore, under these conditions, we deal with the existence and uniqueness of pseudo-almost automorphic
mild solutions to the abstract differential equations in a Banach space X of the form
x0 (t) = Ax(t) + f (t, x(t)), t R, (1)
where A is the infinitesimal generator of a C0 -semigroup {T (t)}t0 on a Banach space X, and f : R X 7 X a pseudo-almost
automorphic function. Let us point out that this work is stimulated by [19], especially by [6].
Throughout this paper, X will be a Banach space, and BC (R, X) the space of all bounded continuous functions under the
sup norm. To begin this paper, we recall some primary definitions of almost automorphic and almost periodic functions.

Definition 1.1. (i) Let f : R 7 X be a bounded continuous function. We say that f is almost automorphic if for every
n=1 , we can extract a subsequence {n }n=1 such that:
sequence of real numbers {sn }

g(t) = lim f (t + n )
n

Corresponding author at: School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples Republic of China.
E-mail addresses: jliang@ustc.edu.cn (J. Liang), gnguerek@morgan.edu (G.M. NGurkata), xiaotj@ustc.edu.cn (T.-J. Xiao), junz5@mail.ustc.edu.cn
(J. Zhang).

0362-546X/$ see front matter 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.na.2008.03.061
2732 J. Liang et al. / Nonlinear Analysis 70 (2009) 27312735

is well defined for each t R, and

lim g(t n ) = f (t)
n

for each t R. Denote by AA(R, X) the set of all such functions.

(ii) A continuous function f : R X 7 X is said to be almost automorphic if f (t, x) is almost automorphic in t R uniformly
for all x B, where B is any bounded subset of X. Denote by AA(R X, X) the set of all such functions.

Basic properties of almost automorphic functions can be found in [4].

Definition 1.2. (i) A bounded continuous function with vanishing mean value is defined as
Z T
1
 
AA0 (R, X) = BC (R, X) : lim k()kd = 0 .
T 2T T

(ii) Similarly we define AA0 (R X, X) to be the collection of all functions f BC (R X, X) satisfying

Z T
1
lim kf (, x)kd = 0
T 2T T

uniformly for x in any bounded subset of X.

We are now ready to introduce the sets PAA(R, X) and PAA(R X, X) of pseudo-almost automorphic functions:

f = g + BC (R, X):
 
PAA(R, X) = ;
g AA(R, X) and AA0 (R, X)
f = g + BC (R X, X):
 
PAA(R X, X) = .
g AA(R X, X) and AA0 (R X, X)

2. Composition of almost automorphic functions

Theorem 2.1. Suppose C is a finite real number, let = [C , +) R (resp. = (, C ]), f = g + be a pseudo-almost
automorphic function. Then we have

{g(t); t R} {f (t); t }.

Proof. It is similar to the proof of {f (t); t R} {g(t); t R} in [10, Theorem 2.2], so we omit the details. 

Corollary 2.2. The decomposition of a pseudo-almost automorphic function is unique.

Proof. Suppose f PAA(R, X) has two decompositions, that is f = g1 + 1 = g2 + 2 , where g1 , g2 AA(R, X) and
1 , 2 AA0 (R, X). Then (g1 g2 ) + (1 2 ) = f f = 0. Using Theorem 2.1, we know (g1 g2 )(t) = 0 for each
t R. Thus, g1 = g2 , and therefore 1 = 2 . So, the decomposition of f is unique. 

The following lemma is from [7], Lemma 2.1.

Lemma 2.3. Let f BC (R, X). Then f AA0 (R, X) if and only if for any > 0,
1
lim mes(MT, (f )) = 0,
T 2T
where mes () denotes the Lebesgue measure and

MT, (f ) := {t [T, T ] : kf (t)k }.

Theorem 2.4. Let f = g + PAA(R X, X) with g(t, x) AA(R X, X), (t, x) AA0 (R X, X). Assume:

(i) g(t,x) is uniformly continuous on any bounded subset uniformly for t R.

(ii) There exists a nonnegative function Lp (R) (1 p ) such that
kf (t, x) f (t, y)k (t)kx yk
for all x, y X and t R.
If x(t) PAA(R, X), then f (, x()) PAA(R, X).
 J. Liang et al. / Nonlinear Analysis 70 (2009) 27312735 2733

Proof. Since f PAA(R X, X) and x(t) PAA(R, X), we have by definition that f = g + and x = + , where
g AA(R X, X), AA0 (R X, X), AA(R, X), AA0 (R, X). So the function f can be decomposed as

f (t, x(t)) = g(t, (t)) + f (t, x(t)) f (t, (t)) + (t, (t)).

Denote
G(t) = g(t, (t)); (t) = f (t, x(t)) f (t, (t)) + (t, (t)).
In view of assumption (i), we get G(t) AA(R, X). To show that f (, x()) PAA(R, X), it is enough to prove that (t)
AA0 (R, X).
Firstly, we will prove that f (t, x(t)) f (t, (t)) AA0 (R, X). Clearly, f (t, x(t)) f (t, (t)) is bounded and continuous. We
can assume kf (t, x(t)) f (t, (t))k M, t R.
Since x(t), (t) are bounded, we can choose a bounded subset B R such that x(R), (R) B. Under assumption (ii), for
a given > 0, kx yk , implies that
kf (t, x) f (t, y)k < (t), for all t R.
Since (t) AA0 (R, X), Lemma 2.3 yields that
1
lim mes(MT, ((t))) = 0.
T 2T
So
1
Z T 1
Z
1
Z
kf (t, x(t)) f (t, (t))kdt = kf (t, x(t)) f (t, (t))kdt + kf (t, x(t)) f (t, (t))kdt
2T T 2T MT, ((t)) 2T [T,T ]\MT, ((t))
M T
Z
mes(MT, ((t))) + (t)dt.
2T 2T T
kkL1 (R)
Case 1: if p = 1, we can see 2T T (t)dt 2T (t)dt
RT R +
2T
.
RT
Case 2: if p = , we can see 2T T (t)dt kkL ( R) .
Case 3: if 1 < p < , then
 1p Z  1q
T T T kkLp (R)
Z Z
(t)dt p (t)dt dt = 1
,
2T T 2T T T (2T )1 q
where q = p(p 1)1 . Hence we have limT 21T T kf (t, x(t)) f (t, (t))kdt = 0.
RT

Secondly, we show that (t, (t)) AA0 (R, X). Let > 0. Since g(t, x) is uniformly continuous in any bounded subset
uniformly for t R, there is a > 0 such that kg(t, x) g(t, y)k for all x, y B with kx yk .
Put 0 = min{, }. Then
k(t, x) (r, x)k kf (t, x) f (t, y)k + kg(t, x) g(t, y)k ((t) + 1),
for all x, y B with kx yk 0 .
Set I = ([T, T ]). Then I is compact in R since the image of a compact set under a continuous mapping is compact, and
so one can find finite open balls Ok , (k = 1, 2, . . . , m) with center xk I and radius 0 small enough such that I m
S
k=1 Ok
and
k(t, (t)) (t, xk )k < ((t) + 1), (t) Ok , t [T, T ].
Suppose k(t, xp )k = max1km {k(t, xk )k}, where p is an index number among {1, 2, . . . , m}. The set Bk = {t [T, T ] :
(t) Ok } is open in [T, T ] and [T, T ] = mk=1 Bk . Let
S

1
k[
E1 = B1 , Ek = Bk \ Bj (2 k m).
j=1

Then Ei Ej = when i 6= j, 1 i, j m. Observe

Z T
1 1
Z
k(t, (t))kdt = m k(t, (t))kdt
2T T 2T S Bk
k=1
m Z
1 X
k(t, (t)) (t, xk )k + k(t, xk )kdt
2T k=1 Bk

m Z m Z
1 X 1 X
((t) + 1)dt + k(t, xk )kdt
2T k=1 Bk 2T k=1 Bk

T 1 T
Z Z
+ (t)dt + k(t, xp )kdt.
2T T 2T T
2734 J. Liang et al. / Nonlinear Analysis 70 (2009) 27312735

Using the same arguments as above, we obtain limT 21T T k(t, (t))kdt = 0.
RT

That is, (t, (t)) AA0 (R, X). Hence G(t) AA(R, X) and (t) AA0 (R, X). This means f (, x()) PAA(R, X), which
ends the proof. 

3. Applications to semilinear differential equations

Definition 3.1. A mild solution to (1) is a continuous function x(t) : R 7 X satisfying

Z t
x(t) = T (t a)x(a) + T (t s)f (s, x(s))ds
a

for all t a and all a R.

We now investigate the existence and uniqueness of a pseudo-almost automorphic solution to (1.1). We need the following
assumptions:
H1. A is the infinitesimal generator of an exponentially stable C0 -semigroup {T (t)}t0 ; that is, there exist K > 0, > 0,
such that

kT (t)k K et , for all t 0.

H2. f : R X 7 X is pseudo-almost automorphic.

H3. There exists a nonnegative function Lp (R, R+ )(1 p < ) such that

kf (t, x) f (t, y)k (t)kx yk

for all x, y X and t R.
In [10], the authors have already discussed the case p = , that is when f (t, x) satisfies a Lipschitz condition.

Theorem 3.2. Under assumptions (H1 )(H3 ), (1) has a unique pseudo-almost automorphic mild solution.

Proof. Consider the nonlinear operator F given by

Z t
(F x)(t) = T (t s)f (s, x(s))ds.

Using the same proof as in [10, Theorem 3.3], we can see F maps PAA(R, X) into PAA(R, X).
Case 1: L1 (R). Let x, y PAA(R, X), and observe
Z t
kF x F yk sup kT (t s)[f (s, x(s)) f (s, y(s))]kds
tR
Z t
sup kT (t s)k(s)kx(s) y(s)kds
tR
Z t
K kx yk e(ts) (s)ds

Z t
K kx yk (s)ds,

and
Z t
kF 2 x F 2 yk K (s)kF x(s) F y(s)kds

Z t Z s
K 2 kx yk (s) ()dds

2
K2 t
Z
kx yk (s)ds .
2

Induction on n in the same way, gives

n Z t n
K
kF n x F n yk kx yk (s)ds .
n!

Therefore,
(K kkL1 (R) )n
kF n x F n yk kx yk.
n!
 J. Liang et al. / Nonlinear Analysis 70 (2009) 27312735 2735

(K kk ) n
< 1. By the contraction mapping theorem the mapping F has a unique fixed
L (R) 1
For sufficiently large integer n, n!
point x(t) PAA(R, X), and this fixed point satisfies the integral equation
Z t
x(t) = T (t s)f (s, x(s))ds,

for all t R.
Case 2: Lp (R) (1 < p < ).
First, put
Z t
(t) = p (s)ds.

Then we define an equivalent norm over PAA(R, X) as follows,

kf kc = sup ec(t) kf k,
tR

where c is a fixed positive number. We have

Z t
kF x F yk sup kT (t s)[f (s, x(s)) f (s, y(s))]kds
t R
Z t
sup (s)kT (t s)kkx(s) y(s)kds
tR
Z t
K e(ts) (s)ec(s) dskx ykc

Z t
 1p Z t
 1q
K epc(s) p (s)ds eq(ts) ds kx ykc

t
 1p
K
Z
1
epc(s) 0 (s)ds kx ykc
(q) q

K 1
1 1
ec(t) kx ykc .
(q) (pc) pq

As a result, we obtain
K 1
kF x F ykc 1 1
kx ykc .
(q) (pc) pq

Kp
Fix c > p so large that K
1
1
1 < 1. Thus F is a contractive mapping. We can get a fixed point x(t) PAA(R, X)
p(q) q (q) q (pc) p
by the Banach fixed point theorem.
After these, using the same argument as in [10, Theorem 3.3], we conclude that x(t) is the unique mild solution to (1),
which ends the proof. 

Acknowledgment

Jin Liang, Ti-Jun Xiao and Jun Zhang acknowledge support from NSFC, EMC and CAS.

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