Classical Sobolev spaces, based on Lebesgue spaces on an underlying
domain with smooth boundary, are not only of considerable intrinsic
interest but have for many years proved to be indispensible in the study
of partial differential equations and variational problems. Many
developments of the basic theory since its inception arise in response
to concrete problems, for example, with the (ubiquitous) sets with
fractal boundaries.
The theory will probably enjoy substantial further growth, but even now
a connected account of the mature parts of it makes a useful addition to
the literature. Accordingly, the main themes of this book are Banach
spaces and spaces of Sobolev type based on them; integral operators of
Hardy type on intervals and on trees; and the distribution of the
approximation numbers (singular numbers in the Hilbert space case) of
embeddings of Sobolev spaces based on generalised ridged domains.
This timely book will be of interest to all those concerned with the
partial differential equations and their ramifications. A prerequisite
for reading it is a good graduate course in real analysis.