Orbital feedback linearization of single-input nonlinear control systems

A. nonlinear control system is said to be orbital feedback linearizable if there exists a static state feedback and a change of time scale (depending on the state) which transform the system into a linear controllable one. In terms of the original system we give geometric necessary and sufficient conditions for orbital feedback linearization. We present also an analysis of oribitally linearizable systems in small dimensions and discuss their relations with classical results concerning classification of distributions. Copyright (C) 1998 IFAC.