Frequency domain approach for the polynomial stability of a system of partially damped wave equations

In this paper, we study the stability of a system of wave equations which are weakly coupled and partially damped. Using a frequency domain approach based on the growth of the resolvent on the imaginary axis, we establish the polynomial energy decay rate for smooth initial data. We show that the behavior of the system is sensitive to the arithmetic property of the ratio of the wave propagation speeds of the two equations. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.