We generalize the Malgrange preparation theorem to matrix valued functions $F(t,x)\in C^{\infty }(\mathbf{R}\times {\mathbf{R}}^n)$ satisfying the condition that $t\mapsto \det F(t,0)$ vanishes to finite order at $t=0$. Then we can factor $F(t,x)=C(t,x)P(t,x)$ near (0,0), where $C(t,x)\in C^{\infty }$ is inversible and $P(t,x)$ is polynomial function of $t$ depending $C^{\infty }$ on $x$. The preparation is (essentially) unique, up to functions vanishing to infinite order at $x=0$, if we impose some additional conditions on $P(t,x)$. We also have a generalization of the division theorem, and analytic versions generalizing the Weierstrass preparation...

We construct fundamental solutions of some partial differential equations of order higher than two and examine properties of these solutions and of some related integrals. The results will be used in our next paper concerning boundary-value problems for these equations.