Stability theory of general contractions for delay equations (Q607775)

The authors consider linear time-varying delay differential systems of the form \[ v'(t)=L(t)v_t \] with a \(\rho\)-nonuniform exponential contraction for the solutions: \[ \|v_t\|\leq De^{-\lambda(\rho(t)-\rho(s))+\varepsilon|\rho(s)|}\|v_s\|,\;t\geq s, \] where \(\rho\in C^1(\mathbb R,\mathbb R)\) is increasing with \(\rho(0)=0\). This general notion includes the usual exponential behavior with \(\rho(t)=t\) as a special case. The main objective is to establish the persistence of the nonuniform exponential stability of the zero solution both under linear perturbations \(M(t)v_t\) and under a class of nonlinear perturbations \(f(t,v_t)\). Some statements are obtained in terms of \(\rho\)-nonuniform exponential contractions for \(M(t)v_t\) and \(f(t,v_t)\). In some sense, the assumptions introduced are found to be the weakest possible under which it is possible to establish the persistence of the stability. Also, corresponding results are obtained for delay difference equations.