Section: Research Program

Non-linear Perron-Frobenius theory, nonexpansive mappings and metric geometry

Several applications (including population dynamics [10] and discrete event systems [56], [64], [46]) lead to studying classes of dynamical systems with remarkable properties: preserving a cone, preserving an order, or being nonexpansive in a metric. These can be studied by techniques of non-linear Perron-Frobenius theory [3] or metric geometry [11]. Basic issues concern the existence and computation of the “escape rate” (which determines the throughput, the growth rate of the population), the characterizations of stationary regimes (non-linear fixed points), or the study of the dynamical properties (convergence to periodic orbits). Nonexpansive mappings also play a key role in the “operator approach” to zero-sum games, since the one-day operators of games are nonexpansive in several metrics, see [8].