Discrete multidimensional systems over \(\mathbb Z _{n}\) (Q2382597)

The author considers multidimensional, discrete, linear, shift-invariant systems whose coefficients belong to a finite ring in the behavioral framework. Systems over finite rings have potential applications in coding theory, both in the 1D setting and in the multidimensional one. The author extends the basic systems theoretic concepts from multidimensional discrete systems over a field to systems over rings of the form \(C=\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}\). The crucial tool is the injective cogenerator property that enables to translate statement on abstract linear systems that can be formulated in terms of kernels and images, into equivalent statements on modules over the ring \(C[\sigma_1,\ldots,\sigma_r,\sigma_1^{-1},\ldots,\sigma_r^{-1}]\). The basic notions are investigated, such as the notions of autonomy as ``absence of free variables'' and as ``non-existence of non-zero trajectories with bounded support'', the input output decomposition, controllability and observability.