Compound matrices and ordinary differential equations (Q2277625)

A survey is given of a connection between compound matrices and ordinary differential equations. A typical result for linear systems is the following. If the n-th order differential equation \(x'=A(t)x\) is uniformly stable, then a necessary and sufficient condition that the equation has an \((n-k+1)\)-dimensional set of solutions satisfying \(\lim_{t\to \infty}x(t)=0\) is that \(y'=A^{[k]}(t)y\) should be asymptotically stable. For nonlinear autonomous systems, a criterion for orbital asymptotic stability of a closed trajectory given by Poincaré in two dimensions is extended to systems of any finite dimension. A criterion of Bendixson for the nonexistence of periodic solutions of a two dimensional system is also extended to higher dimensions.