The stability and stabilization of non-linear, non-stationary mechanical systems

Mechanical systems acted upon by extremely non-linear positional forces are considered. The decomposition method is used to determine the sufficient conditions for asymptotic stability of an equilibrium. Problems of stabilizing the equilibrium of non-linear, non-stationary systems with specified potential forces by adding forces of different structure are studied. For systems with a non-stationary, homogeneous, positive-definite potential, the possibility of stabilization by linear dissipative forces, uncharacteristic of linear systems, is established. For systems with an even number of coordinates n ≥ 4, in the presence of dissipative forces with complete dissipation, the possibility of vibrational stabilization by adding circular and gyroscopic forces with coefficients fluctuating about zero is demonstrated.