The solvability of the initial problem for a degenerate linear hybrid system with variable coefficients (Q619483)

The following linear hybrid system \[ A_k(t)x'(t)+ B_k(t)x(t)+ f_k(t)= 0,\;t\in[t_{k-1},t_k),\;k= 1,\dots,m, \] with known switching moments \(t_0< t_1<\cdots< t_m\) is considered. Here, \(A_k(t)\) and \(B_k(t)\) are \((n\times n)\)-matrices; \(x(t)\) is the desired function and \(f_k(t)\) are given \(n\)-dimensional vector functions; the entries of the matrices \(A_k(t)\) and \(B_k(t)\) and vectors \(f_k(t)\) are defined and are sufficiently smooth on the corresponding segments \[ T_k= [t_{k-1}, t_k];\;\text{det\,}A_k(t)= 0\quad \forall t\in T_k,\quad k= 1,\dots,m. \] Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a piecewise smooth solution for the initial value problem are obtained. An equivalent form of a nonstationary system of linear ordinary differential equations that is not resolved with respect to the derivative and is identically degenerate in its definition domain is studied. A constructive algorithm for obtaining such a form, even if the rank of the matrix at the derivative is not constant, is proposed.