A contribution to the identification of switched dynamical systems over finite fields

In this paper, we address specific issues related to the problem of parameter identification for switched linear systems over finite fields. Peculiarities related to the consideration of finite fields are pointed out. In particular, one of the main contributions of the paper is the reconsideration of the usual Persistently Exciting conditions. Indeed they are important in that they guarantee unicity in the solution of the identification procedure but they actually do no longer make sense on finite fields. In this paper, we provide alternative conditions. Such an issue has a cryptographic interest since identification amounts to an attack in cryptography, that is a way of recovering the secret key played by the parameters of the dynamical system.