Analysis of nonlinear time-delay systems using modules over noncommutative rings (Q1614426)

The theory of noncommutative rings is introduced to provide a basis for the study of nonlinear control systems with time delays. The left Ore ring of noncommutative polynomials defined over the field of meromorphic functions is suggested as the framework for such a study. This approach is then generalized to a broader class of nonlinear systems with delays that are called generalized Roesser systems. This is done with the help of rings of fractions constructed over the left Ore ring. Finally, the theory is applied to analyze nonlinear time-delay systems. A weak observability is defined and characterized, generalizing the well-known linear result. Properties of closed submodules are then developed to obtain a result on the accessibility of such systems. The layout of the paper is as follows: the framework is presented in Section 2. The necessary background on noncommutative algebra is collected in Appendix A. Section 3 is devoted to nonlinear time-delay systems. Conclusions are drawn in Section 4.