Impulsive stability for systems of second order retarded differential equations (Q880317)

The initial value problem \[ \begin{cases} x''(t) +f(t,x(t),x'(t)) + g(t,x(t),x(t-\tau)) = 0, & t\geq t_0,\quad t\neq t_k,\quad k=1,2,\dots,\\ x_{t_0} = \varphi,\\ x'(t_0) = y_0, \end{cases} \] is considered, where \(\{t_k\}_{k=0}^\infty\) is a monotone increasing unbounded sequence of real numbers, \(f, g: [t_0,\infty)\times \mathbb R\times\mathbb R\to\mathbb R\) are continuous functions such that \(f(t,0,0)=g(t,0,0) = 0\) and \(\varphi,\,\varphi'\: [-\tau,0]\to \mathbb R\) have at most a finite number of discontinuity points all of them being of the first kind, and are right continuous at these points. Also the impulses at times \(t_k\), \(k=1,2,\dots\), \[ x(t_k) = I_k(x(t_k^-))\quad \text{and}\quad x'(t_k) = J_k(x'(t_k^-)), \] are considered, where \(I_k, J_k: \mathbb R\to \mathbb R\) are continuous and \(I_k(0) = J_k(0) = 0\), \(k\in N\). The authors prove that unstable systems can be stabilized by imposing impulsive control. The main tools used in this case are Lyapunov's functionals. Remark. Note that in the paper by \textit{A. A. Martynyuk} and \textit{V. I. Slyn'ko} [Int. Appl. Mech. 40, No. 2, 231--239 (2004; Zbl 1079.34525)] it was proved that an impulsive system can be stable (asymptotically stable) when both components (continuous and discrete) of the evolutionary system are unstable.