
NonlinearBook10pt November 20, 2007
764 CHAPTER 13
nonlinear discrete-time system (13.1) with initial cond ition x(0) = x
0
.
Unlike continuous-time dynamical systems, establishing existence and
uniqueness of solutions for discrete-time dynamical systems is straightfor-
ward. To see this, consider th e discrete-time dynamical system (13.1) and let
I
+
x
0
⊆ Z
+
be th e maximal interval of existence for the solution x(·) of (13.1).
Now, to construct a solution to (13.1) we can construct the solution sequence
or discrete trajectory x(k) = s(k, x
0
) iteratively by s etting x(0) = x
0
and
using f (·) to define x(k) recursively by x(k + 1) = f(x(k)). Specifically,
s(0, x
0
) = x
0
s(1, x
0
) = f (s(0, x
0
)) = f(x
0
)
s(2, x
0
) = f (s(1, x
0
))
.
.
.
s(k, x
0
) = f (s(k − 1, x
0
)). (13.2)
If f(·) is continuous, it follows that f(s(k − 1, ·) is also continuous sin ce it
is constructed as a composition of continuous fun ctions. Hence, s(k, ·) is
continuous. If f(·) is such that f : R
n
→ R
n
, this iterative process can be
continued indefinitely, and hence, a solution to (13.1) exists for all k ≥ 0.
Alternatively, if f (·) is such th at f : D → R
n
, the solution may cease to exist
at some point if f (·) maps x(k) into some point x(k + 1) outside the domain
of f (·). In this case, the solution sequence x(k) = s(k, x
0
) will be d efi ned
on the maximal interval of existence x(k), k ∈ I
+
x
0
⊂ Z
+
. Furthermore, note
that the solution sequence x(k), k ∈ I
+
x
0
, is uniquely defined for a given x
0
if f (·) is a continuous function. That is, any other solution sequence y(k)
starting from x
0
at k = 0 will take exactly the same values as x(k) an d can
be continued to the same interval as x(k). It is important to note that if
k ∈ Z
+
, uniqueness of solutions backward in time need not necessarily hold.
This is due to the fact that (k, x
0
) = f
−1
(s(k + 1, x
0
)), k ∈ Z
+
, and there is
no gu arantee that f (·) is invertible for all k ∈ Z
+
. However, if f : D → D
is a homeomorphism for all k ∈ Z
+
, then the solution sequence is unique
for all k ∈ Z. Identical arguments can be used to establish existence and
uniqueness of solutions for time-varying discrete-time systems. In light of
the above d iscus sion the following theorem is immediate.
Theorem 13.1. Consider the nonlinear dynamical system (13.1).
Assume that f : D → D is continuous on D. Then for every x
0
∈ D,
there exists I
+
x
0
⊆ Z
+
such that (13.1) has a unique solution x : I
+
x
0
→ R
n
.
Moreover, for each k ∈ I
+
x
0
, the solution s(k, ·) is continuous. If, in addition,
f(·) is a homeomorphism of D onto R
n
, then the solution x : I
x
0
→ R
n
is
unique in all I
x
0
∈ Z and s(k, ·) is continuous for all k ∈ I
x
0
. Finally, if
D = R
n
, then I
x
0
= Z.