Geometric and asymptotic properties associated with linear switched systems (Q496715)

This paper investigates linear switched systems on \({\mathbb R}^n\) in continuous time \[ \dot x=A(t)x,\quad t\geq 0, \] where \(A\) denotes any measurable function having values in a compact, convex subset of the real \(n\times n\)-matrices. Provided the system is irreducible and the largest Lyapunov exponent vanishes, there always exists a Barabanov norm (roughly speaking, a norm along which solutions are nonincreasing) associated to the system. Given this, the following aspects are tackeld: (1) Properties of Barabanov norms such as uniqueness up to homogeneity and strict convexity. The authors provide partial answers and propose related open problems. (2) Asymptotic behavior of the extremal solutions to linear switched systems. In \(n=3\) dimensions a Poincaré-Bendixson theorem is shown under a regularity assumption on the set of matrices. (3) Finally, a result due to Barabanov is revisited, where the authors point out a gap in the proof and partially recover it using alternative arguments.