Topological Entropy Bounds for Switched Linear Systems with Lie Structure

In this thesis, we provide an initial investigation into bounds for topological entropy of switched linear systems. Entropy measures, roughly, the information needed to describe the behavior of a system with finite precision on finite time horizons, in the limit. After working out entropy computations in detail for the scalar switched case, we review the linear time-invariant nonscalar case, and extend to the nonscalar switched case. We assume some commutation relations among the matrices of the switched system, namely solvability, define an " upper average time of activation " quantity and use it to provide an upper bound on the entropy of the switched system in terms of the eigenvalues of each subsystem.