Chapter 6

Stability

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 Question of the Day
• How do we know a system becomes
unstable?

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 Examples

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MQEYe4_0Y
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLsLGPdvmYo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8PWfIth-o0

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 Objectives
To learn:

How to determine the stability of a LTI system

using Routh-Hurwitz criterion

How to determine system parameters to yeild

stability

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 Introduction (section 6.1)
• Control Design Requirements:
- Transient Response 
- Stability (in this chapter)
- Steady-state Errors (next chapter)

• Transient response and Steady-state Error are

meaningless for an unstable system.
• This chapter investigates stability for linear time-
invariant (LTI) systems.
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 Introduction
• What is stability?
• System total response:
c(t )  c forced (t )  cnatural (t )
• If t   results in cnatural (t )   then the LTI system is
unstable.
• If t   results in cnatural (t )  0 then the LTI system is
stable.
• If t   results incnatural (t ) remaining constant or
oscillating, then the LTI system is marginally stable.
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 Introduction
• If the input is unbounded, forced response could be
unbounded as well. (Hard to determine the stability)

• Bounded-Input Bounded-Output (BIBO) Stability:

- A system is stable if every bounded input yields a

bounded output. (stable systems)

- A system is unstable if every bounded input yields a

unbounded output. (marginally stable and unstable
systems)
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 Introduction
How to determine if a system is stable?

 Stable systems have closed-loop transfer functions with poles

only in the left half-plane.

 Unstable systems have closed-loop transfer functions with at

least one pole in the right half-plane and/or poles of
multiplicity greater than 1 on the imaginary axis.

 Marginally stable systems have closed-loop transfer functions

with only imaginary axis poles of multiplicity of 1 and poles
in the left half-plane.
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 Introduction
Example: A stable system
3
T ( s) 
s ( s  1)( s  2)  3

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 Introduction
Example: An unstable system
7
T ( s) 
s ( s  1)( s  2)  7

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 Introduction
Examples of unstable or marginally stable systems:

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 Introduction
Examples of unstable or marginally stable systems:

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 Introduction
How to determine if a system is stable by looking at the
denominator of the closed-loop transfer function?

- If all signs of the coefficients of the denominator are not the

same, then the system is unstable. 4 3
s  s  2s  s  1
2

- If powers of s are missing, the system is either unstable, or at

best marginally stable. 4 3
s  s  s 1
- Nothing can be said if all signs of the coefficients of the
denominator are the same and not missing. (i.e. just by
looking) 4 3
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s  s  2s  s  1
2
13
 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion (section 6.2)
• Finding the poles by solving for the roots of the denominator is
not always easy.

• Routh-Hurwitz gives an easier way to find the number of poles in

left and right half-planes and on imaginary axis.

• The exact coordinates of the poles are not determined by this

method.
• Q: If calculators can find the poles location, the why Routh-
Hurwitz?
- A: The method is beneficial in design rather than analysis.

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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion

Routh-Hurwitz Steps:
1- Generate a data table (Routh Table)
2- Interpret the Routh table (determine the stability)

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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
• Step 1: Generating a basic Routh table
• Consider the following transfer function:

Algorithm:
1- Begin by labeling the rows with powers of s, then first
put every other coefficients in the first row in order
starting form the highest one, then put the rest of
coefficients in second row in order.
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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion

2- Other entries are negative determinant of entries of two

previous rows, divided by the entry in the first column of the
above row.
The first column of the determinant is the first column of
two previous rows, the second column is the column of the
previous rows, above and to the right.
17
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Routh-Hurwitz Criterion

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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
• Example: Make Routh table for this system:

• Solution: 1- find the equivalent closed-loop system:

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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
2- Find the entries of the table:
 Note: any row in the table can be multiplied by a
positive constant without changing the values of
below row.

20
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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
•Step 2: Interpreting the basic Routh table

Routh-Hurwitz criterion:
The number of roots of the polynomial that are
in the right half-plane is equal to the number of
sign changes in the first column.

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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion


1

-There are two poles in the right half-plane, thus

the system is unstable.
Question: How many poles are in left half-plane?
22
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 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
Tutorial
How many roots of the following polynomial are in the
right-half plane, in the left-half plane, and on the j
axis? P ( s )  s 5  3s 4  5s 3  4s 2  s  3

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 Special Cases (section 6.3)
• Two special cases might happen in the table:

1- The Routh table sometimes will have a zero

only in the first column of a row

2- The Routh table sometimes will have an entire

row that consists of zeroes.

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 Special Cases
Algorithm:
1- If the first element in a row is zero, the zero
should be replaced by an epsilon (ϵ). The epsilon
is allowed to approach to zero from either the
positive or the negative side.
 Example: Determine the stability of the following system:

10
T (s)  5
s  2s  3s  6s  5s  3
4 3 2
25
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 Special Cases

Routh Table:

Two poles
Determining the in right
sign of epsilon: half-plane
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 Special Cases
• A polynomial with reciprocal roots of the original polynomial has
its roots distributed in left or right half-plane as the original
polynomial.

• Using this polynomial (with reciprocal roots) might avoid the

zero in first column.

• This method is computationally easier.

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 Special Cases
• Auxiliary polynomial with reciprocal roots:
Original Polynomial:
s n  an1s n1  ...  a1s  a0  0
n n 1
Replacing s by 1/d :  1  1 1
   an 1    ...  a1   a0  0
d  d  d

1
n
  
1
1
 
1
(1 n )
  
1
n

  1  an 1    ...  a1    a0   
d   d  d   d  
n
1
   1  an 1d  ...  a1d n 1  a0 d n   0
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 Special Cases
• As it could be seen, the Auxiliary polynomial is a
polynomial with the coefficients written in inverse
order.
• Recalling the previous example:
10
T (s)  5
s  2s 4  3s 3  6s 2  5s  3

D ( s )  3s 5  5s 4  6 s 3  3s 2  2 s  1

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 Special Cases
Algorithm:
2- Entire row is zero: There is an even polynomial that is a
factor of the original polynomial.
- In this case an auxiliary polynomial should be used.

- Example: Number of RHP poles for the following

closed-loop transfer function?
10
T ( s)  5
s  7 s 4  6s 3  42s 2  8s  56
30
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 Special Cases
10
- Step 1: Forming the table: T ( s)  5
s  7 s 4  6s 3  42s 2  8s  56

7

- Step 2: Return to the row immediately above the row of

zeros and form an auxiliary polynomial:
P( s)  s 4  6s 2  8
- Step 3: Differentiate the polynomial with respect to s:
dP( s)
 4s 3  12s  0
ds 31
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 Special Cases
- Step 4: Replace the obtained coefficients with
elements of the row of zeros:
dP( s)
 4s 3  12s  0
ds

4

- Step 5: The rest of the table is formed following the

standard form.

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 Special Cases

All entries in the first column are positive, therefore

there are no RHP poles.

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 Special Cases
Notes:
- Facing a row of zeros means that the original polynomial has a
factor of a purely either odd or even polynomial.

- The roots of an even polynomial may

be:
• Symmetric and real (A)
• Symmetric and imaginary (B)
• Quadrantal and symmetric
about the origin (C)

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 Special Cases

- An even polynomial can

be stable only if it has
poles on imaginary axis
(Case B).

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 Special Cases
• Example: For the following transfer function, how
many poles are in RHP, LHP, and on imaginary axis?
20
T (s)  8 7
s  s  12s 6  22s 5  39s 4  59s 3  48s 2  38s  20
Two poles in RHP,
- Step 1: Two poles in LHP
Even polynomial 1

10
20

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 Special Cases
- Step 2: P ( s )  s 4  3s 2  2

dP( s)
- Step 3:  4s  6s  0
3

ds
- Step 4&5:  No change is sign, all four poles
are located on imaginary axis.
2
Even polynomial 2

2

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 Special Cases
Example summery:
1- Number of poles in RHP before the even polynomial
(causing the row of zeros), is equal to the number of sign
changes in the first column.
2-Number of poles in RHP (also in LHP) for the even
polynomial is equal to the number of sign changes. The rest of
poles are on imaginary axis.

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 Additional Examples (section 6.4)
• Example: Find the number of poles in LHP,RHP, and
on the imaginary axis for the following system:

• Solution:
6
T (s) 
200 10
s 4  6s 3  11s 2  6s  200

Two poles in RHP

Two poles in LHP
39
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 Additional Examples
• Example: Find the number of poles in LHP, RHP, and
on the imaginary axis for the following system:

• Solution:
1
T ( s) 
2s 5  3s 4  2s 3  3s 2  2s  1

Two poles in RHP

Three poles in LHP
40
 Additional Examples
• The other solution:
D( s )  s 5  2 s 4  3s 3  2 s 2  3s  2

• As was expected, there are two poles in RHP and

three poles in LHP.
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 Additional Examples
• Example: Find the number of poles in LHP,RHP, and
on the imaginary axis for the following system:

• Solution:
128
T ( s)  8
s  3s 7  10s 6  24s 5  48s 4  96s 3  128s 2  192s  128

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 Additional Examples
3
2

P ( s )  s 6  8s 4  32 s 2  64 dP( s)
 6s 5  32s 3  64s
ds
2
8

8 3
3

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 Additional Examples
- 2 sign change in the following first column s 6  s 0 :
Two poles in RHP, Two poles in LHP, Two poles
on the imaginary axis.
- No sign change before the even polynomial s8  s 6 :
Two poles in LHP.

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 Additional Examples
Tutorial
How many closed loop poles of the system shown below
lie in the LHP,RHP, and on the imaginary axis?

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Additional Examples
Tutorial

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 Other Usages (section 6.4 cont.)
• Routh-Hurwitz method can be used for stability design
of a system.

• Example: Find the gain of K for the following system

that will cause the system to be stable:
- Assumption: K  0

47
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 Other Usages
K
• Solution: T ( s)  3
s  18s 2  77 s  K

• All elements of first column of the table should be

positive:
1386  K K  1386
- Case 1: 0
18
48
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 Other Usages
- Case 2: K  1386
No sign change
2 on imaginary axis
No sign change

unit multiplicity

1 LHP

dP( s )
P ( s )  18s  1386
2
 36s
ds

- No sign change occurs, the system is marginally

stable.
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 Other Usages
• Routh-Hurwitz could also be used in limited
applications to factor polynomials containing even
factors.
• Example: Factor the polynomial:
s  3s  30s  30s  200
4 3 2

• Solution:

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 Other Usages
- Form the even polynomial:
P ( s )  s 2  10

- Divide the polynomial by the even polynomial:

s 4  3s 3  30s 2  30s  200  ( s 2  10)( s 2  3s  20)

 ( s  j 3.1623)( s  j3.1623)( s  1.5  j 4.213)( s  1.5  j 4.213)

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 Other Usages
Tutorial

For the following unity feedback system:

K
G( s) 
( s  10)( s 2  4s  5)
a. Find the range of K for stability
b. Find the frequency of oscillation when the system is
marginally stable.

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Other Usages
Tutorial

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 Summary
 In order to determine the stability of a system, Routh-Hurwitz
could be used.

 First form the Routh table using the polynomial coefficients.

 Complete the table, using the determinants.

 The number of RHP poles is equal to the number of sign

changes in the first column of the table.

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 Summary
Special Cases:

 In case of a zero in the first column, replace the zero with an

epsilon, or use the polynomial with reciprocal roots.
 In case of a zero row, form and use the auxiliary polynomial.

Other Usages:

 Routh-Hurwitz method can be used for stability design of a

system.
 Routh-Hurwitz could also be used in limited applications to
factor polynomials containing even factors.

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