Quiver Semistability and Structured Kalman Decompositions for Networked Linear Dynamical Systems

Abstract

We introduce new notions of controllability and observability for networked linear time-invariant (LTI) systems based on $σ$-semistability of quiver representations. Utilizing King's criterion for $σ$-semistability, we define a network generalization of the Kalman decomposition for networked LTI systems, which systematically decomposes the local and interconnection dynamics while respecting the underlying network structure. Furthermore, we present efficient algorithms for deciding the proposed controllability and observability of a given networked LTI system and for finding the Kalman-type decomposition. We also show efficient algorithms for deciding the $σ$-semistability of representations of acyclic quivers with self-loops if the weight $σ$ has the same sign for all vertices with self-loops. Such quiver representations and weights arise from networked LTI systems.