Uniform l1 Behavior of a Time Discretization Method for a Volterra Integrodifferential Equation with Convex Kernel; Stability

We study stability of a numerical method in which the backward Euler method is combined with order one convolution quadrature for approximating the integral term of the linear Volterra integrodifferential equation u′(t) + ∫ t 0 β(t − s)Au(s) ds = 0, t ≥ 0, u(0) = u0, which arises in the theory of linear viscoelasticity. Here A is a positive self-adjoint densely defined linear operator in a real Hilbert space, and β(t) is locally integrable, nonnegative, nonincreasing, convex, and −β′(t) is convex. We establish stability of the method under these hypotheses on β(t). Thus, the method is stable for a wider class of kernel functions β(t) than was previously known. We also extend the class of operators A for which the method is stable.