Robust Sliding Control of SEIR Epidemic Models

Abstract EN

This paper is aimed at designing a robust vaccination strategy capable of eradicating an infectious disease from a population regardless of the potential uncertainty in the parameters defining the disease.

For this purpose, a control theoretic approach based on a sliding-mode control law is used.

Initially, the controller is designed assuming certain knowledge of an upper-bound of the uncertainty signal.

Afterwards, this condition is removed while an adaptive sliding control system is designed.

The closed-loop properties are proved mathematically in the nonadaptive and adaptive cases.

Furthermore, the usual sign function appearing in the sliding-mode control is substituted by the saturation function in order to prevent chattering.

In addition, the properties achieved by the closed-loop system under this variation are also stated and proved analytically.

The closed-loop system is able to attain the control objective regardless of the parametric uncertainties of the model and the lack of a priori knowledge on the system.