Mathematical analysis for the peridynamic nonlocal continuum theory*
We develop a functional analytical framework for a linear peridynamic model of a spring network system in any space dimension. Various properties of the peridynamic operators are examined for general micromodulus functions. These properties are utilized to establish the well-posedness of both the stationary peridynamic model and the Cauchy problem of the time dependent peridynamic model. The connections to the classical elastic models are also provided.