1

Notes on finite-time and fixed-time stability

Consider the system

x = u + ;
where u R is the control input and is a bounded perturbations such that || < for some positive
constant . Choose u = sign(x), then
x = sign(x) + . (1)
Now, consider = x as sliding variable and the following Lyapunov function candidate

V = 2, (2)
hence
V =(sign() + ),
( )||,
( )V 1/2
whose solutions are bounded by the solutions to the comparison system
z = Kz .
Separating variables (k 1 z dz = dt), and integrating leads to

z (+1)  
= t 
0
(3)
k( + 1) 0
Thus, for 0 < < 1 an estimation for = Tf such that z(Tf ) = 0 can be readily obtained:
z(0)(+1)
= Tf . (4)
k( + 1)
In terms of system (1) and Lyapunov function (2), the above expression leads to (V 1/2 = ||)
2
Tf |0 |.

The finite time convergence can not be established for > 1, note that (4) leads to Tf < 0. However,
an upper bound for the time = Tc1 , such that |z(Tc1 )| 1 can be founded with the aim of (3) by
considering z(0) = . Thus, we obtain
1
Tc1 .
k( 1)
Note that Tc1 is independent of the initial conditions. From the above it becomes clear that a Lyapunov
function wich combines finite time convergence from any intitial condition to the ball of radius 1 with finite
time convergence to the origin gives the possibility of find an upper bound for the time of convergence
wich is independent of the initial conditions. In that spirit are the results presented in [Cruz-Zavala and
Moreno, 2010] and [Polyakov, 2012]. The latter goes further, by introducing a SOSM control algorithm
for which the desired time of convergence can be selected a priori and the parameters of the controller are
obtained based on that time. The controller for the scalar case presented in [Polyakov, 2012] is described
next.
 2

Consider the system

x = g(t, x), x(0) = x0 (5)
where x Rn , g : R+ Rn Rn is a nonsingular function. Discontinuous RHS is not excluded, in such
a case the solutions are understood in the sense of [Filippov, 1988]. Assume that x = 0 is an equilibrium
point.
Definition 1. The equilibrium point x = 0 of the system is (5) said to be fixed-time stable if ti is globally
finite-time stable and the settling-time function , T (x0 ) is globally bounded by some positive number
Tmax > 0, i.e. T (x0 ) Tmax for x0 Rn .
Denote by D (t) the upper right-hand derivative of a continuous function (t)
(t + h) (t)
D (t) := lim sup .
h+0 h
Then smoothness of V will not be required.
Lemma 2. [Polyakov, 2012] The origin x = 0 of the system (5) is fixed-time stable if there exists a
continuous radially unbounded function V : Rn R+ {0} such that
1) V (x) > 0 for x 6= 0 and V (0) = 0;
2) any solution x(t) of the system (5) satisfies the following inequality

k
D V (x(t)) V p (x(t)) + V q (x(t))
for , , p, q, k > 0 and pk < 1, qk > 1. The global settling time estimate has the form
1 1
T (x0 ) + k , x0 Rn .
k (1 pk) (qk 1)
Denote
z [q] = |z|q sign(z), z, q R,
the preserving sign involution operator.
d [m]
Remark 3. Note that z [1/k] = z 1/k and z [k] = z k for odd integers k. z [0] = sign(z), dz
= m|x|m1 and
d
dz
|z|m = m|z|m1 sign(z) = mz [m1] .
Consider the system 
y1 =y2 ,
(6)
y2 =u + (t, y),
where the uncertain term is assumed to be bounded by some known function (t, x), i.e. || (t, x)
t > 0 and x Rn .
Theorem 4. [Polyakov, 2012] Let Tmax > 0 be an arbitrary positive number and the controller u has
the form1
1 + 31 y12 + 2 1
u(y) = sign(s) (2 s + 2 s[3] )[ 2 ] ,
2 (7)
1
[2] [3]
[ ]
s :=y2 + y + 1 y1 + 1 y1 2
2
with 0.51 = 2 = 0.51 = 2 = 64Tmax . Then the origin of the closed-loop system (6), (7) is fixed-time
stable with the settling-time function bounded by Tmax .
1
For a system not in Brunowsky form x = Ax + bu + x where u R and rank[b, Ab] = 2 the nonsingular transformation y = [Ab, b]1
brings the system to the Brunowsky form (and the term a1 x1 + a2 x2 may need to be compensated by the controller) .
 3

Proof: First of all show that s = 0 is a sliding surface of the closed-loop (6), (7). Consider the
Lyapunov function candidate
V (y1 , y2 ) := |s(y1 , y2 )|
and calculate its total upper right-hand Dini derivative along the trajectories of the closed-loop system
(6), (7)
D V (y1 (t), y2 (t)) = y2 (t)sign s(t) +






2|y2 (t)|y2 (t)sign s(t) + 1 + 31 y12 (t) y2 (t)sign s(t)
 1/2
 [2] [3]
2 y2 (t) + 1 y1 (t) + 1 y1 (t)


for s 6= 0.Taking into account the equality

(2 s + 2 s[3] )[1/2] sign(s) = (2 |s| + 2 |s|3 )1/2
we obtain
[2]
y2 sign(s) = (u(y) + (t, x))sign(s) =
1 + 31 y12
(2 |s| + 2 |s|3 )1/2 ( )
2
for s 6= 0. Hence, we conclude that
D V (2 V + 2 V 3 )1/2
and thus, it is ensured that V (t) := |s(t)| = 0 for all t Ts := 2 + 2 = Tmax .
2 2 2
[2]
Now, proceed to analize the sliding motion. s = 0 implies 2y2 + 1 y1 + 1 y13 = 0 and the sliding
motion equation takes the form  [1/2]
1 1 3
y1 = y1 + y1
2 2
Hence, choosing
Lyapunov function V (y1 ) = |y1 | and usign Lemma (2) we show y1 = 0 for all
the
T max 2 2 2 2
t 2 + 1 + 1 = Tmax . The proof is completed by remarking that y1 = 0 and s = 0 imply y2 = 0.

The fixed-time controller (7) was applied to obtain fixed-time stability of the following second order
time-delay system
x1 (t) =a11 x1 (t) + x2 (t D1 ),
(8)
x2 (t) =a21 x1 (t) + a22 x2 (t) + U (t D2 ),
with parameters a11 = a21 = a22 = 0.2, D1 = 0.4, and D2 = 0.8. For these parameter values the system
is unstable. The initial conditions were chosen as x1 (0) = x2 (0) = 1, x2 () = 1, [D1 , 0], and
U () = 0, [D2, 0]. Using the following predictors (see ?)
t
P1 (t) =x1 (t) + (a11 P1 () + P2 ()) d,
tD1 D2
t (9)
P2 (t) =x2 (t) + (a21 P1 ( D1 ) + a22 P2 () + U ()) d,
tD2
The results of applying (7) to (8), setting y1 = P1 and y2 = P2 , are shown in Fig. where Tmax = 8 and
in Fig. where Tmax = 2 was selected.
To do, put in one single plot of the states the two simulations above, make a dynamic slide. Compute
with the control magnitude constrain and the initial conditions the best attainable convergence time,
after that convergence time, change the parameters in order to reduce chattering. I think Andrei presents
this idea as a weight that make the cubic terms dissapear inside the radius one ball. Anyway propose
something. The main point, state the result in terms of approximability of solutions and BS transformation
for justification of predictors.
 4

3 3
x1 x1
x2 x2

2 2

1 1

0 0

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Figure 1. States for Tmax = 8s. Figure 2. States for Tmax = 2s.

R EFERENCES
E. Cruz-Zavala and J. Moreno. Uniform second-order sliding mode observer for mechanical systems. In
International Workshop on Variable Structure Systems, pages 1419, Mexico City, June 2010.
A. F. Filippov. Differential Equations with Discontinuous Right-Hand Sides. Kluwer, 1988.
Andrey Polyakov. Fixed-time stabilization via second order sliding mode control. In 4th IFAC Conference
on Analysis and Design of Hybrid Systems, Eindhoven, Netherlands, June 2012.