A Shortest-Path Lyapunov Approach for Forward Decision Processes

Abstract

In previous work, attention was restricted to tracking the net using a backward method that knows the target point beforehand (Bellmans's equation), this work tracks the state-space in a forward direction, and a natural form of termination is ensured by an equilibrium point . We consider dynamical systems governed by ordinary difference equations described by Petri nets. The trajectory over the net is calculated forward using a discrete Lyapunov-like function, considered as a distance function. Because a Lyapunov-like function is a solution to a difference equation, it is constructed to respect the constraints imposed by the system (a Euclidean metric does not consider these factors). As a result, we prove natural generalizations of the standard outcomes for the deterministic shortest-path problem and shortest-path game theory.