Lyapunov’s Second Method for Stability:

 For a given nonlinear system ẋ=f (x) with an equilibrium at x=x e, having
and a corresponding Lyapunov function V(x) which has an analogy to
the potential function of classical dynamics. Then, the system is
considered Lyapunov stable if:

1) V ( x )=0 if and only if x=x e

2) V ( x )> 0 if and only if x ≠ x e (positive definite)
d δV
3) V̇ ( x )= V ( x )=Σ
dt
f ( x ) =∇ V . f ( x )≤ 0 for all values of x ≠ x e
δx i (negative
semi-definite).

 For Conditions 1 and 2:

Considering all possible choices of Lyapunov functions and the

equilibrium state 𝐗𝐞𝐪, each of these candidate potential functions are
positive definite for all real state values iff all the K-Constants are
positive:
l l r r
K PE >0,K KE >0 , K KE >0 , K PE >0

As well as their minimums of 0 are achieved at their corresponding

equilibriums:

V A ( x 1 ,ref ) =K lPE . ( x 1 ,ref −x 1 ,ref )2=0

l 2
V B ( 0 )=K KE . ( 0 ) =0

V C ( 0 )=K rP E . ( 0 )2=0

V D ( 0 )=K r K E . ( 0 )2=0

 For Conditions 3:
 Since the final Lyapunov function may be written as a combination of
energy functions of each state, it can be worthwhile to consider the
time derivatives each of these separately, which can be written as:

δV dx
V̇ ( x )= .
δx dt

V˙ A ( x )=K l PE . ( x 1 ,ref −x1 ) (−x 2 ) <0

V˙ B ( x )=2 K l K E . x 2 . x˙2< 0

V˙ C ( x )=2 K P E . x 3 . x 4< 0
r

V˙ D ( x ) =2 K P E . x 4 . x˙4 <0
r

As we observed earlier in experiment 10, the sustained oscillatory nature

of states x3 and x4 (repeated sign changes) may lead to disruption of
Lyapunov stability.