Stability of nonautonomous equations and Lyapunov functions (Q379448)

Consider the equation \[ x' = A(t)x\;,\;x\in X \] 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 \[ \displaystyle{\parallel x(t)\parallel\leq ce^{\bar{a}(t-s)+\varepsilon s}\parallel x(s) \parallel , \text{for} \;t\geq s} \] 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 \[ \displaystyle{\gamma e^{-\delta t}\parallel x\parallel\leq V(t,x)\leq\gamma^{-1}e^{\gamma t} \parallel x\parallel} \] and \[ \displaystyle{|V(t,T(t,s)x|)\leq\theta^{t-s}|V(s,x)| \text{ for} \;t\geq s>0\;,\;x\in X,} \] 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. Strict 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.