Universal stabilization of a class of nonlinear systems with homogeneous vector fields

Under relative-degree-one and minimum-phase assumptions, it is well known that the class of finite-dimensional, linear, single-input (u), single-output (y) systems (A,b,c) is universally stabilized by the feedback strategy u = Λ(λ)y, λ = y², where Λ is a function of Nussbaum type (the terminology “universal stabilization” being used in the sense of rendering /s(0/s) a global attractor for each member of the underlying class whilst assuring boundedness of the function λ(·)). A natural generalization of this result to a class ^k of nonlinear control systems (a,b,c), with positively homogeneous (of degree k 1) drift vector field a, is described. Specifically, under the relative-degree-one (cb ≠ 0) and minimum-phase hypotheses (the latter being interpreted as that of asymptotic stability of the equilibrium of the “zero dynamics”), it is shown that the strategy u = Λ(λ)/vby/vb^k−1y, assures ^k-universal stabilization. More generally, the strategy u = Λ(λ)exp(/vby/vb)y, assures -universal stabilization, where = _{k 1} ^k.