Linearizability of flows by embeddings

Abstract

We consider the problem of determining the class of continuous-time dynamical systems that can be globally linearized in the sense of admitting an embedding into a linear flow on a finite-dimensional Euclidean space. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of linearizing embeddings of compact invariant sets and basins of attraction. Our results reveal relationships between linearizability, symmetry, topology, and invariant manifold theory that impose fundamental limitations on algorithms from the "applied Koopman operator theory" literature.