Convergence of the Equations for a Maxwell Fluid

The equations for the flow of a viscoelastic fluid of the Maxwell type are analyzed in a linear approximation. First, we establish that the solution depends continuously on changes in the relaxation time. Next, we investigate how the solution to the linearized Maxwell system converges to the solution to Stokes flow as the relaxation time tends to zero. Convergence in different measures is examined and specific a priori bounds are derived.