Stability of Linear Parameter Varying and Linear Switching Systems

We consider stability of families of linear time-varying systems, that are determined by a set of time-varying parameters which adhere to certain rules. The conditions are general enough to encompass on the one hand stability questions for systems that are frequently called linear parameter varying systems in the literature and on the other hand also linear switching systems, in which parameter variations are allowed to have discontinuities. Combinations of these two sets of assumptions are also possible within the framework studied here. Under the assumption of irreducibility of the sets of system matrices, we show how to construct parameter dependent Lyapunov functions for the systems under consideration that exactly characterize the exponential growth rate. It is clear that such Lyapunov functions do not exist in general. But every system of our class can be reduced to a finite number of subsystems for which irreducibility holds.