Optimal polynomial decay of functions and operator semigroups

We characterize the polynomial decay of orbits of Hilbert space $C_0$-semigroups in resolvent terms. We also show that results of the same type for general Banach space semigroups and functions obtained recently in the paper by C.J.K.Batty and T.Duyckaerts, Non-uniform stability for bounded semi-groups on Banach spaces (J. Evol. Eq. 2008), are sharp. This settles a conjecture posed in the paper by C.J.K.Batty and T.Duyckaerts.