Sliding vector fields via slow-fast systems (Q2519143)

This paper concerns differential equation systems on \(\mathbb{R}^n\) with discontinuous right-hand sides. Let \(U\subset \mathbb{R}^n\) be an open set and suppose that \(M=F^{-1}(0)\), where \(F: U\to \mathbb{R}\) is a smooth function and \(0\in\mathbb{R}\) is a regular value of \(F\). Then \(M\) is the separating boundary of the regions \(M_+:=\{q\in U\mid F(q)\geq 0\}\) and \(M_-:=\{q\in U\mid F(q)\leq 0\}\). Consider a non-smooth vector field \[ X(q)=\begin{cases} X_1(q) & \text{if } q\in M_+,\\ X_2(q) & \text{if } q\in M_-, \end{cases} \] where \(X_1, X_2\) are both \(C^r\) vector fields (\(r\geq 1\)). According to Filippov's convention, there may exist generically a \textit{sliding region} \(SR(X)\) in \(M\) such that any orbit of \(X\) which meets the \(SR(X)\) remains tangent to \(M\) for positive time. The vector field on \(SR(X)\) determined in this way is called the sliding vector field. A regularization process was introduced by Llibre, Sotomayor and Teixeira [\textit{J. Sotomayor} and \textit{M. A. Teixeira}, Int. Conference on Diff. Eq. Lisboa, Equadiff 95, 207--223 (1998; Zbl 0957.37015); \textit{J. Llibre} and \textit{M. A. Teixeira}, Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 3, No.~2, 235--241 (1997; Zbl 0989.37011)] to study discontinuous vector fields. The process enables us to get a one-parameter family of \(C^r\) vector fields \(X_\varepsilon\) such that for each fixed \(\varepsilon_0>0\) the field \(X_{\varepsilon_0}\) is equal to \(X_1\) (respectively \(X_2\)) at all points of \(M_+\) (respectively \(M_-\)) whose distance to \(M\) is larger than \(\varepsilon_0\). More concretely, assume that \(M\) is presented locally around a point \(p\) by the function \(F(x_1,\dots,x_n)=x_1\) and \(X_1=(f_1,\dots,f_n)\), \(X_2=(g_1,\dots,g_n)\). Then the trajectories of the regularized vector field \(X_{\varepsilon}\) are solutions of the ODE system \[ \begin{aligned}\dot x_i&= \frac{f_i+g_i}{2} +\varphi\left(\frac{x_1}{\varepsilon}\right) \frac{f_i-g_i}{2},~~~i=1,\dots,n, \\ \dot\varepsilon&=0.\end{aligned} \] The authors transform the system into a singular perturbation problem by considering \(x_1=r\cos\theta\) and \(\varepsilon=r\sin\theta\) with \(r\geq 0\) and \(\theta\in [0,\pi]\). They obtain the following main result: If either \(X_1F(q)\neq 0\) or \(X_2F(q)\neq 0\) for any \(q\in M\) then there exists a singular perturbation problem \[ \theta'=\alpha(r,\theta,\rho),~~~ \rho'=r\beta(r,\theta,\rho), \] with \(r\geq 0\) and \(\theta\in (0,\pi),~\rho\in M\) and \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) of class \(C^r\) such that (a) \(SR(X)\) is homeomorphic to the slow manifold \(\alpha(0,\theta,\rho)=0\) of the singular perturbation system system and (b) the sliding vector field is topologically equivalent to the reduced problem of (3), i.e., \[ r\dot\theta=\alpha(r,\theta,\rho),~~~ \dot\rho=\beta(r,\theta,\rho). \]