Every ordinary differential equation with a strict Lyapunov function is a gradient system (Q2428592)

Let \(F\) be a continuous tangent vector field on a manifold \(M\). A continuously differentiable function \(\mathcal E:M\to\mathbb R\) is a strict Lyapunov function for the differential equation \[ \dot u+F(u)=0, \eqno (1) \] if \(\langle \mathcal E'(u),F(u)\rangle >0\) whenever \(u\in M\) and \(F(u)\neq 0\). It is well known that gradient systems on a Riemannian manifold \((M,g)\) admit a strict Lyapunov function. The purpose of the paper is to prove the converse. Namely, the main paper result is the following theorem: Let \(M\) be a manifold, \(F\) a continuous vector field on \(M\), and let \(\mathcal E:M\to\mathbb R\) be a continuously differentiable, strict Lyapunov function for (1). Then there exists a Riemannian metric \(\tilde g\) on the open set \(\tilde M=\{u\in M: F(u)\neq 0\}\subset M\) such that \(\nabla_{\tilde g}\mathcal E=F\). In particular, (1) is a gradient system on the Riemannian manifold \((\tilde M,\tilde g)\). This result allows to formulate a new type of gradient inequality and to obtain a new stabilization result for gradient-like ordinary differential equations.