Increasing delay as a strategy to prove stability

Abstract

We consider difference equations of the form $x_{n+1}=F_0(x_n,\ldots,x_{n-k+1}),$ and increase the delay through a process of successive substitutions to obtain a sequence of systems $y_{n+1}=F_j(x_{n-j},\ldots,x_{n-k-j+1}),\; j=0,1,\ldots$. We call this process \emph{the expansion strategy} and use it to establish novel results that enable us to prove stability. When the map $F_0$ is sufficiently smooth and has a hyperbolic fixed point, we show the fixed point is locally asymptotically stable if and only if $\|\nabla F_j\|_1<1$ for some finite number $j$. Our local stability results complement recent results obtained on Schur stability, and they can provide an alternative to the highly acclaimed Jury's algorithm. Also, we show the effectiveness of the expansion strategy in obtaining global stability results. Global stability results are obtained by integrating the expansion strategy with the embedding technique. Finally, we give illustrative examples to show the results' practical applicability across various discrete-time dynamical systems.