  This paper is concerned with the solvability of some abstract differential
equation of type $$\dot u(t) + Au(t) + Bu(t) \ni f(t), t \in (0,T], u(0) = 0,$$
where $A$ is a linear selfadjoint operator and $B$ is a nonlinear(possibly
multi-valued)maximal monotone operator in a (real) Hilbert space ${\mathbb H}$
with the normalization $0 \in B (0)$. We use the concept of variational sum
introduced by H. Attouch, J.-B. Baillon, and M. Th\'era, to investigate
solutions to the given abstract differential equation. Several applications
will be discussed, among them the case where $B = \subdifferential \phi$, the
subdifferential of a convex semicontinuous proper function $\phi$.
