Stability preserving structural transformations of systems of linear second-order ordinary differential equations

In the paper we have developed a theory of stability preserving structural transformations of systems of second-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs), i.e., the transformations which preserve the property of Lyapunov stability. The main Theorem proved in the paper can be viewed as an analogous of the Erugin’s theorem for the systems of second-order ODEs. The Theorem allowed us to generalize the 3-rd and 4-th Kelvin – Tait – Chetayev theorems. The obtained theoretical results were successfully applied to the stability investigation of the rotary motion of a rigid body suspended on a string.