Optimal decay rate of vibrating beam equations controlled by combined boundary feedback forces (Q1962487)

In this very important paper, the optimal decay rate problem for the boundary control system which describes the vibration of a thin Euler-Bernoulli beam, is considered. The bending moment (in proportion to angular velocity) and the shear force (in proportion to velocity) are the control functions. The motion of the beam in question is described by the following linear equation in \(Q= (0,1)\times (0,t)\) \[ \begin{cases} my_{tt}(x, t)+ EIy_{xxxx}(x,t)= 0,\quad 0< x< 1,\quad t>0\\ y(0, t)= y_x(0, t)= 0,\quad t\geq 0\\ EIy_{xxx}(1,t)= K_1y_t(1,t),\;EIy_{xx}(1,t)= -K_2y_{xt}(1,t),\quad t\geq 0\\ y(x,0)= y_0(x),\;y_t(x,0)= y_1(x),\quad 0\leq x\leq 1\end{cases}\tag{1} \] The authors prove that the optimal exponential decay rate can be obtained by the spectrum of system (1) and its value can be computed by the formula: \(\omega_0= \sup\{R_e\lambda, \lambda\in\sigma(A)\}\), \(A\) is an associated operator. A sensitivity asymptotic analysis of the system's eigenvalues and eigenfunctions is presented. Main result: The authors give detailed proofs, generalized theorems and lemmas. It is proved that, for any \(K_1\), \(K_2\) (\(0< K_2< +\infty\), \(0\leq K_1<+\infty\)), all the generalized eigenfunctions of the linear differential equation \({dy(t)\over dt}= Ay(t)\), \(t>0\), \(y(0)= y_0\), \(y_0= \langle y_1,y_2\rangle^T\in V\times H\) form a Riesz basis on the space \(H\times V\) and the optimal exponential decay rate can be obtained from the spectrum of the system.