Identification of a convolution kernel in a control problem for the heat equation with a boundary memory term

Abstract

We consider the evolution of the temperature $u$ in a material with thermal memory characterized by a time-dependent convolution kernel $h$. The material occupies a bounded region $\Omega$ with a feedback device controlling the external temperature located on the boundary $\Gamma$. Assuming both $u$ and $h$ unknown, we formulate an inverse control problem for an integrodifferential equation with a nonlinear and nonlocal boundary condition. Existence and uniqueness results of a solution to the inverse problem are proved.