On state reachability of reaction systems

Abstract

Reaction systems constitute a class of nonlinear dynamical systems relevant in many engineering fields such as chemical engineering, biotechnology and ecology. It is shown that the state reachability rank of generic reaction systems can be characterized, irrespective of the reaction kinetics, by simple algebraic criteria closely related to the underlying structure of the reaction network and the associated transport dynamics. In particular, simple algebraic criteria are described for the determination of the reachability rank of generic reaction systems without resorting to Lie bracket computations.<>