Error Estimates for Semi-Discrete and Fully Discrete Galerkin Finite Element Approximations of the General Linear Second-Order Hyperbolic Equation

In this article, we derive error estimates for the semi-discrete and fully discrete Galerkin approximations of a general linear second-order hyperbolic partial differential equation with general damping (which includes boundary damping). The results can be applied to a variety of cases (e.g. vibrating systems of linked elastic bodies). The results generalize pioneering work of Dupont and complement a recent article by Basson and Van Rensburg.