Robust positive model reduction via monotone matrices (2406.11696v1)

Abstract: This work focuses on the problem of exact model reduction of positive linear systems, by leveraging minimal realization theory. While even determining the existence of a positive reachable realization remains an open problem, we are able to fully characterize the cases in which the new model is obtained with non-negative reduction matrices, and hence positivity of the reduced model is robust with respect to small perturbations of original system. The characterization is obtained by specializing monotone matrix theory to positive matrices. In addition, we provide positive reduction also when minimal ones are not available, by exploiting algebraic techniques.