Fractional Powers of Operators: Characterization via $δ$-Regularized Logarithmic Representation

Abstract: For the fractional powers of operators, the classical formulation by V. Balakrishnan inherently requires positivity or specific sectorial conditions of the generator (i.e., the generation of analytic semigroups). To overcome these limitations, this paper presents a novel approach to constructing fractional powers of operators $D<sup>k$ through the $δ$-regularized logarithmic representation of infinitesimal generators $D$, based on the framework of $C<sup>0$-semigroup theory for abstract evolution equations in Banach spaces. The proposed method bypasses the conventional geometric constraints by employing an algebraic $δ$-regularization for bounded operators. Specifically, by applying a complex-analytic logarithmic representation to a family of bounded operators derived from the resolvent of the semigroup, we mathematically prove that, under the minimal algebraic assumption of invertibility, the fractional powers for generators of more general $C<sup>0$-semigroups are uniquely and rigorously well-defined, independent of the choice of the regularization parameter $δ$. The theoretical framework established in this study offers extensive potential for applications, including regularity estimates for non-analytic semigroups and non-autonomous systems where the infinitesimal generators depend explicitly on the time variable.