Application of center manifold reduction to nonlinear system stabilization (Q1294138)

A nonlinear control system \[ \dot\eta= A_{11}\eta+ b_1u+ F(\eta,\xi),\quad \dot\xi= A_{22}\xi+ b_2u+ G(\eta,\xi)\tag{1} \] is considered; where \(\eta\), \(\xi\) are real vectors, and a preliminary block diagonalization has been applied to remove any linear coupling term in the dynamics between \(\eta\) and \(\xi\). For simplicity, \(u\) is supposed to be a scalar control. The center manifold theorem is applied to the local feedback stabilization of (1) in critical cases. The paper addresses two particular critical cases: The system linearization at the equilibrium point of interest is assumed to possess either a simple zero eigenavalue or a complex conjugate pair of simple and pure imaginary eigenvalues. In either case, the noncritical eigenvalues are taken to be stable. The results on stabilizability and stabilization are given explicitly in terms of the nonlinear model of interest in its original form, i.e., before reduction to the center manifold.