A general framework for robust stability analysis of neural networks with discrete time delays

Abstract

Robust stability of different types of dynamical neural network models including time delay parameters have been extensively studied, and many different sets of sufficient conditions ensuring robust stability of these types of dynamical neural network models have been presented in past decades. In conducting stability analysis of dynamical neural systems, some basic properties of the employed activation functions and the forms of delay terms included in the mathematical representations of dynamical neural networks are of crucial importance in obtaining global stability criteria for dynamical neural systems. Therefore, this research article will examine a class of neural networks expressed by a mathematical model that involves the discrete time delay terms, the Lipschitz activation functions and possesses the intervalized parameter uncertainties. This paper will first present a new and alternative upper bound value of the second norm of the class of interval matrices, which will have an important impact on obtaining the desired results for establishing robust stability of these neural network models. Then, by exploiting wellknown Homeomorphism mapping theory and basic Lyapunov stability theory, we will state a new general framework for determining some novel robust stability conditions for dynamical neural networks possessing discrete time delay terms. This paper will also make a comprehensive review of some previously published robust stability results and show that the existing robust stability results can be easily derived from the results given in this paper.

Keywords: Discrete delays; Dynamical neural networks; Interval matrices; Lyapunov functionals; Robust stability.