Let ${\mathcal{D}}$ be a Schauder decomposition on some Banach space $X$. We prove that if ${\mathcal{D}}$ is not $R$-Schauder, then there exists a Ritt operator $T\in B(X)$ which is a multiplier with respect to ${\mathcal{D}}$ such that the set $\{T^{n}:n\geq 0\}$ is not $R$-bounded. Likewise, we prove that there exists a bounded sectorial operator $A$ of type $0$ on $X$ which is a multiplier with respect to ${\mathcal{D}}$ such that the set $\{e^{-tA}:t\geq 0\}$ is not $R$-bounded.

We compare various functional calculus properties of Ritt operators. We show the existence of a Ritt operator T: X → X on some Banach space X with the following property: T has a bounded H∞-functional calculus with respect to the unit disc 𝔻(that is, T is polynomially bounded) but T does not have any bounded H∞-functional calculus with respect to a Stolz domain of 𝔻 with vertex at 1. Also we show that for an R-Ritt operator the unconditional Ritt condition of Kalton and Portal is equivalent to the existence of a bounded H∞-functional calculus with respect to such a Stolz domain.

This paper deals with the evolution Fokker-Planck-Smoluchowski configurationalprobability diffusion equation for the FENE dumbbell model in dilute polymer solutions. Weprove the exponential convergence in time of the solution of this equation to acorresponding steady-state solution, for arbitrary velocity gradients.