On Detectability of Switched Linear Differential-Algebraic Equations

This paper addresses the notion of detectability for continuous-time switched systems comprising linear differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). It relates to studying asymptotic stability of the set of state trajectories corresponding to zero input and zero output, with a fixed switching signal. Due to the nature of solutions of switched DAEs, the problem reduces to analyzing stability of the trajectories emanating from a non-vanishing unobservable subspace, for which we first derive a geometric expression. The stability of state trajectories starting from that subspace can then be checked in two possible ways. In the first case, detectability of switched DAE is shown to be equivalent to the asymptotic stability of a reduced order discrete-time switched system. In the second approach, the solutions from a non-vanishing unobservable subspace are mapped to the solutions of a reduced order continuous system with time-varying switching ordinary differential equations (ODEs). As a special case of the later approach, the reduced order switched system is time-invariant if the unobservable subspace is invariant for all subsystems.