STABILITY

STABILITY: AN OUTLINE
Response terms
Zero-state and zero-input response terms
Natural and forced response components
Types of stability and conditions for each type
.Stability Testing
Coefficient Tests
Routh-Hurwitz Testing
TRANSFER FUNCTION AND STABILITY
FINDING TRANSFER FUNCTION
RESPONSE COMPONENTS
• The system output when the initial conditions are all zero is termed the
zero-state response. Its Laplace transform is given simply by the product
of the transfer function and the input function. If
STABILITY
COEFFICIENT TESTS

A first- or second-order polynomial has all roots in the left half of

the complex plane if and only if all polynomial coefficients have the
same algebraic sign
For example,
3s2 + s + 10
is the characteristic polynomial of a stable system, while
3s2 + s - 10
represents an unstable system.
A polynomial with all roots in the left half-plane (LHP) has factors of the
form:

(s +a) a>0 (real axis root in the LHP)

and

(s2 + bs + c) b > 0 and c > 0 (two LHP roots, perhaps complex

conjugate)

No coefficient can be zero ("missing") in a system with LHP roots because

there are no minus signs involved and thus no way for a coefficient to be
canceled.
If imaginary axis roots exist in the polynomial, factors of the following
forms can be present, in addition to the others:

(s) (root at the origin)

and

(s2 + a) a > 0 (complex conjugate roots on the imaginary

axis)
A polynomial with right half-plane (RHP) roots has factors of the form:

(s - a) a>0 (real axis root in the RHP)

and

(s2 - bs + c) b > 0 and c > 0 (two RHP roots, perhaps complex

conjugate)

The presence of such factors may or may not cause differing algebraic
signs of the coefficients and (by cancellation) zero coefficients.
Table 2.1 Polynomial Coefficient Tests

Properties of the polynomial Conclusion about roots from the

coefficients Coefficient Tests

Differing algebraic sign At least one RHP root

Zero-valued coefficients Imaginary axis or RHP roots or both
All of the same algebraic sign, No direct information
none zero
Example

7s6 + 5s4 - 3s3 - 2s2 + s + 10
8s5 + 6s4 + 3s3 + 2s2 + 7s + 10
s6 + 3s5 + 2s4 + 8s2 + 3s + 17
Has one or more RHP roots, indicated
by the differing algebraic signs of the
coeffi­cients
Examination of the coefficient signs
yields no information about root
locations
Has imaginary axis roots or RHP roots or
both, indicated by the missing s3 term

Imaginary axis roots in the polynomial, if they are present, are complex
conjugate, since if there were an imaginary axis root at s = 0, s would be a factor
of the polynomial.
ROUTH-HURWITZ TESTING
The Routh-Hurwitz test is a numerical procedure for detennining the numbers
of right half-plane (RHP) and imaginary axis (IA) roots of polynomial.
Given the characteristic polynomial: Example:
p(s) = 2s4 + 3s3 + 5s2 + 2s + 6
For this example, there are two
sign changes in the left column,
as indicated with the arrows;
therefore p(s) has two RHP
roots.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ARRAY
COEFFICIENTS

Given: p(s) = 2s4 + 3s3 + 5s2 + 2s + 6

Let: E(s) = 2s4 + 5s2 +6
D(s) = 3s3 + 2s
Suppose we divide the lower-order
polynomial D(s) into the higher-order
polynomial E(s):
Notice that if a remainder is zero, an entire row of the
Routh array is zero. If, for example, R2(s) had been
zero, then R1 (s) would have been a factor of p(s).
That fact will be exploited when we consider
a procedure for handling a row of zeros.
Given a system with the following transfer function, find the
Routh array.
LEFT-COLUMN ZEROS
For example:
The row where the first column 0 occurs
is renamed the A row, and a new row,
termed the B row, is formed from the A
row. The B row is formed by sliding the
A row to the left until the zeros
disappear. The sign of the row is changed
by (-1)n where n is the number of times
this row is shifted to the left to eliminate
the zeros.
The new s2 row is
formed by adding the
A and B rows together,
with the result
After the remaining terms are calculated as before, the entire array
becomes

From the array, there are two sign changes- +6 to -5 and -5 to + 10-and
hence there are two roots in the RHP.
Practice Problem. Find the Routh array and the number of
roots in the RHP
p(s) = s5 + s4 + 2s3 + 3s2 + s + 4

Solution
With two sign changes, from + 1 to -1
and from -4 to +4, the polynomial of
Equation (2 .20) has two RHP roots.
Quiz
1. Find the response y(t), t >= 0, of the
first-order systems with following trans­
fer functions, inputs r(t), and initial
conditions. Indicate the natural part of
the response and find its time constant.

2 Find the response y(t), t >= 0, of the second-

order systems with the following transfer
functions, inputs r(t), and zero initial conditions.
Indicate the natural part of the response.