Stability of nonautonomous equations and Lyapunov functions (Q379448)

Consider the equation NEWLINE\[NEWLINE x' = A(t)x\;,\;x\in X NEWLINE\]NEWLINE with \(\{A(t)\}_t\) -- a family of continuously \(t\)-dependent bounded operators on the Banach space \(X\). If there exist \(c>0\), \(\bar{a}<0\) and \(\varepsilon\geq 0\) such that NEWLINE\[NEWLINE \displaystyle{\parallel x(t)\parallel\leq ce^{\bar{a}(t-s)+\varepsilon s}\parallel x(s) \parallel , \text{for} \;t\geq s} NEWLINE\]NEWLINE for every solution then it is said that the aforementioned system admits \textit{a nonuniform exponential contraction}. At the same time, a continuous function \(V:\mathbb R^+\times X\mapsto \mathbb R_0^-\) such that NEWLINE\[NEWLINE \displaystyle{\gamma e^{-\delta t}\parallel x\parallel\leq V(t,x)\leq\gamma^{-1}e^{\gamma t} \parallel x\parallel} NEWLINE\]NEWLINE and NEWLINE\[NEWLINE \displaystyle{|V(t,T(t,s)x|)\leq\theta^{t-s}|V(s,x)| \text{ for} \;t\geq s>0\;,\;x\in X,} NEWLINE\]NEWLINE where \(\gamma>0\), \(\delta\geq 0\), \(\theta\in(0,1)\), \(\theta e^\delta<1\), is called \textit{a strict Lyapunov function}; here \(T(t,s)\) is the solution operator of the aforementioned system.NEWLINENEWLINEStrict Lyapunov functions versus nonuniform exponential contractions are considered, together with an approach of constructing strict Lyapunov functions aiming to serve as proof tools. In particular, there are considered quadratic Lyapunov functions and linear finite dimensional differential equations. Nonlinear perturbations and stability by the first approximation are considered.