Exponential decay of oscillations in a multidimensional delay differential system (Q1422595)

The paper is devoted to a control system with a delay negative feedback of relay type in the form \[ \dot x_i(t) = F_i(x_1(t),\dots,x_n(t))-u_i(t)\text{ sign\, } x_i(t-\tau_i(t)), \;\;i=1,\dots,n, \tag{*} \] where \(F_i(0,\ldots,0,t)=0\), \(u_i(t)\), \(\tau_i(t)\) are bounded positive measurable functions, \(0<\tau_0\leq\tau_i(t)\leq h_i\), \(\tau_0\) and \(h_i\) are positive constants, \(i=1,\ldots,n\). System (*) may have an unstable zero solution if \(u_1=\ldots=u_n=0\). It is shown that there exist functions \(u_i\) such that all solutions sufficiently small at the initial moment decay exponentially to zero as \(t\to\infty\). The functions \(u_i\) depend only on the bounds to the derivatives of \(F_1,\dots,F_n\) and on the upper bounds \(h_1,\dots,h_n\) to the delays. The one-dimensional case has been studied by the author, \textit{E. M. Fridman} and \textit{L. M. Fridman} and in previous works [ASME J. of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control 122, No.~4, 732--737 (2000), and PU. M.A. Pure Math. Appl. 4, No.~1, 59--73 (1993; Zbl 0810.93010)]. The new result is illustrated by a numerical example with \(n=2\), \(F_1=x_2+x_1(x_1^2+x^2_2)\), \(F_2=-x_1+x_2(x_1^2+x^2_2)\). A controller is designed in the form \(-u(t)(\text{sign\, }x_1(t-\tau_1(t)),\text{sign\, }x_2(t-\tau_2(t)))\) with \(\tau_1,\tau_2\leq 0.1\).