40 CHAPTER 2. MATHEMATICAL MODELS IN CONTROL
are simultaneously satisfied. Also, sinceV ̇(x)≤ 0 for allxin the neighborhood
kxk<kof 0 ,t 0 ≤t 1 ≤kimplies
V(x(t 1 ))≤V(x(t 0 ))<φ(ε)
Thus, for allxin the neighborhoodkxk<kof 0 ,t 0 ≤t 1 ≤kimplies
kx(t 1 )k<ε
since we know thatφ(kx(t 1 )k)≤V(x(t 1 ))<φ(ε),andkx(t 1 )k≥εwould
implyφ(kx(t 1 )k)≥φ(ε)by the property thatφis strictly increasing on[0,k].
Takingδ=ε,weseebyDefinition 2.1 that the origin is stable.
The proof of the following theorem is similar. A functionV ̇:Rn→Ris said
to benegative definiteifV ̇( 0 )=0and for allx 6 =0in some neighborhood
kxk<kof 0 ,V ̇(x)< 0.
Theorem 2.3For a nonlinear system of the form
x ̇=f(x),f(0) = 0 (2.34)
the origin is asymptotically stable if there is a Lyapunov functionV for the
system, withV ̇ negative definite.
Here is an example.
Example 2.3Consider the nonlinear system
x ̇=f(x)
where
x=
μ
x 1
x 2
∂
,x ̇=
μ
x ̇ 1
x ̇ 2
∂
=f(x)=
μ
f 1 (x)
f 2 (x)
∂
with
f 1 (x)=x 1
°
x^21 +x^22 − 1
¢
−x 2
f 2 (x)=x 1 +x 2
°
x^21 +x^22 − 1
¢
The origin(0,0)is an equilibrium position. The positive definite function
V(x)=x^21 +x^22
has its derivative along any system trajectory
V ̇(x)=∂V
∂x 1
x ̇ 1 +
∂V
∂x 2
x ̇ 2
=2x 1
£
x 1
°
x^21 +x^22 − 1
¢
−x 2
§
+2x 2
£
x 1 +x 2
°
x^21 +x^22 − 1
¢§
=2
°
x^21 +x^22 − 1
¢°
x^21 +x^22
¢
Whenx^21 +x^22 < 0 , we haveV ̇(x)< 0 , so that(0,0)is asymptotically stable.