Lyapunov’s theorem provides a foundational characterization of stable equilibrium points in dynamical systems. In this paper, we develop a framework for stability for F-coalgebras. We give two definitions for a categorical setting in which we can study the stability of a coalgebra for an endofunctor F. One is minimal and better suited for concrete settings, while the other is more intricate and provides a richer theory. We prove a Lyapunov theorem for both notions of setting for stability, and a converse Lyapunov theorem for the second.

Lyapunov’s theorem provides a fundamental characterization of the stability of dynamical systems. This paper presents a categorical framework for Lyapunov theory, generalizing stability analysis with Lyapunov functions categorically. Core to our approach is the set of axioms underlying a setting for stability, which give the necessary ingredients for “doing Lyapunov theory” in a category of interest. With these minimal assumptions, we define the stability of equilibria, formulate Lyapunov morphisms, and demonstrate that the existence of Lyapunov morphisms is necessary and sufficient for establishing the stability of flows. To illustrate these constructions, we show how classical notions of stability, e.g., for continuous and discrete time dynamical systems, are captured by this categorical framework for Lyapunov theory. Finally, to demonstrate the extensibility of our framework, we illustrate how enriched categories, e.g., Lawvere metric spaces, yield settings for stability enabling one to “do Lyapunov theory” in enriched categories.

We lift the standard equivalence between fibrations and indexed categories to an equivalence between monoidal fibrations and monoidal indexed categories, namely lax monoidal pseudofunctors to the 2-category of categories. Furthermore, we investigate the relation between this ‘global’ monoidal version where the total category is monoidal and the fibration strictly preserves the structure, and a ‘fibrewise’ one where the fibres are monoidal and the reindexing functors strongly preserve the structure, first hinted by Shulman. In particular, when the domain is cocartesian monoidal, we show how lax monoidal structures on a pseudofunctor to Cat bijectively correspond to lifts of the pseudofunctor to MonCat. Finally, we give some examples where this correspondence appears, spanning from the fundamental and family fibrations to network models and systems.