Stability Analysis of Stochastic Hybrid Jump Linear Systems Using a Markov Kernel Approach

In this paper, the state dynamics of a supervisor implemented with a digital sequential system are represented with a finite state machine (FSM). The supervisor monitors a symbol sequence derived from a linear closed-loop system's performance and generates a switching signal for the closed-loop system. The effect of random events on the performance of the closed-loop system is analyzed by adding an exogenous Markov process input to the FSM, and by appropriately augmenting a switched system representation of the supervisor and the closed-loop system. For this class of hybrid jump linear systems, the switching signal is, in general, a non-Markovian process, making it hard to analyze its stability properties. This is ameliorated by introducing a sufficient mean square stability test that uses only upper bounds on the one-step transition probabilities of the switching signal. These bounds are explicitly derived from a Markov kernel associated with the hybrid system model. This stability test becomes necessary and sufficient when the switching signal is Markovian. To determine tighter stability bounds, procedures to determine the upper-bound transition probability matrices when the FSM has a Moore or a Mealy type output map are presented. Two examples illustrate the applicability of the presented results.