C s b0 s m b1s m 1

... bm
G s
R s a0 s n a1 s n 1
... an

Using convolution integral method

c t g r t d
0

1
g G s = impulse response of the system

Taking absolute value in both sides,

c t g r t d
0

c t g r t d
0

c t g r t d
0

c t g r t d
0

Let, r(t) and c(t) are bounded as follows.

r t M1
c t M2

Then,
 c t M1 g d M2
0

Hence, first notion of stability is satisfied if g d is finite or integrable.

0

(ii) Notion-2: In the absence of the input, the output tends towards zero irrespective of initial
conditions. This type of stability is called asymptotic stability.

Pole-zero map Normalized response

Over-damped close-loop poles

Critically damped close-loop poles

Pole-zero map Normalized response

Under-dampedclose-loop poles
Pole-zero map Normalized response
 Un-dampedclose-loop poles
Pole-zero map Normalized response

Negative Under-dampedclose-loop poles

Pole-zero map Normalized response

Negative Over-dampedclose-loop poles

Pole-zero map Normalized response
Example:
1. Determine the close-loop poles on the imaginary axis of a system given below.
K
G ( s)
s ( s 1)
Solution:
Characteristics equation, B ( s ) s2 s K 0
Replacing s jw

B ( j ) ( j )2 ( j ) K 0
2
(K ) j 0
Comparing real and imaginary terms of L.H.S. with real and imaginary terms of R.H.S., we get

K and 0
Therefore, Closed-loop poles do not cross the imaginary axis.

2. Determinetheclose the imaginary axis of a system given below.

B ( s ) s 3 6 s 2 8s K 0 .
Solution:
Characteristics equation,

B( j ) ( j )3 6( j )2 8 j K 0
(K 6 2 ) j(8 3
) 0
Comparing real and imaginary terms of L.H.S. with real and imaginary terms of R.H.S., we get
2
8 rad/s and K 6 48
Therefore, Close-loop poles cross the imaginary axis for K>48.
B(s) an sn an sn as a 0

(s r1)(s r2) (s rn) 0

Where, ri Roots of the characteristics equation

Example:
3. Consider a third order polynomial B ( s ) s 3 3s 2 16 s 130 . Although the coefficients of the
above polynomial are positive, determine the roots and hence prove that the rule about
coefficients being positive is only a necessary condition for the roots to be in the left s-plane.

Solution:
Characteristics equation, B ( s ) s 3 3s 2 16s 130 0
By using Newton-Raphson’s method r1 5 and r2,3 1 j5

Therefore, from the above example, the condition that coefficients of a polynomial should be positive
for all its roots to be in the left s-plane is only a necessary condition.

an 1 an 3 an 5

an an 2 an 4
n
0 an 1 an 3

Here, the determinant decreases by two along the row by one down the
column. For stability, the following conditions must satisfy.
an 1 an 3 an 5
an 1 an 3
1 an 1 0, 2 0, 3 an an 2 an 4 0
an an 2
0 an 1 an 3
 sn an an 2 an 4
n 1
s an 1 an 3 an 5

sn 2
bn 1 bn 3 bn 5
n 3
s cn 1 cn 3 cn 5

Where,
(an 1 )(an 2 ) an (an 3 )
bn 1
an 1
(an 1 )(an 4 ) an (an 5 )
bn 3
an 1
(bn 1 )(an 3 ) an 1 (bn 3 )
cn 1
bn 1
For stability, the following conditions must satisfy.
The number of roots of B(s) with positive real parts is equal to the number of sign
changes an, an-1, bn-1, cn-1, etc.

Example:
K
4. Find stability of the following system given by G ( s ) and H ( s) 1 using Routh-
s ( s 1)
Hurwitz stability criterion.
Solution:
K
G (s) s ( s 1) K
In the system, T s 2
1 G (s) H (s) K s s K
1
s ( s 1)
Method-I,
Characteristics equation, B s s2 s K 0

1 1
Here, 1 0
2 K
1 K

1 0
For stability,
2 0
The system is always stable for K>0.
Method-II,
Characteristics equation, B s s2 s K 0

Here, Routh array is

s2 1 K
1
s 1 0
0
s K

There are no sign changes in first column elements of this array.Therefore, the system is always stable
for K>0.
K
5. Find stability of the following system given by G ( s ) and H ( s ) 1 using
s( s 2)( s 4)
Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion.
Solution:
K
C (s) G s s (s 2)( s 4) K
In the system, 3 2
R s 1 G s H s K s 6s 8s K
1
s ( s 2)( s 4)
Method-I,
General form of characteristics equation, B s a3 s 3 a2 s 2 a1s a0 0

And in this system, characteristics equation is B s s3 6s2 8s K 0

Here,sufficient condition of stability suggests

6 K
1 8 0, 2 48 K 0,
1 8
6 K 0
3 1 8 0 K 48 K 0
0 6 K
Therefore, the system is always stable for K 48 .
Method-II,
Characteristics equation is B s s3 6s 2 8s K 0
andRouth’s array

s3 1 8
6 K
s2
48 K
s1 0
6
s0 K
There are no sign changes in first column elements of this array if K 48 . Therefore, the system is
always stable for 0 K 48 .
6. Find stability of the following system given by B s s 3 5s 2 10 s 3 using Routh-Hurwitz
stability criterion.
Solution:
In this problem, given Characteristics equation is B s s 3 5s 2 10s 3 0 , andRouth’s array is

s3 1 10
2
s 5 3
1
s 9.4 0
s0 3

There are no sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is always
stable.
7. Find stability of the following system given by B s s3 2s2 3s 10 using Routh-Hurwitz
stability criterion.
Solution:
In this problem, given characteristics equation is
B s s 3 2 s 2 3s 10 0 and
Routh’s array is

s3 1 3
s 2 2 10
s1 2 0
s 0 10

There are two sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is unstable.
8. Examine stability of the following system given by s5 2s4 4s3 8s2 3s 1 using Routh-Hurwitz
stability criterion.
Solution:
In this problem, Routh’s array is

s5 1 4 3
s4 2 8 1
s3 0 2.5
2
s
s1
s0
Here, the criterion fails. To remove the above difficulty, the following two methods can be used.
Method-1
(i) Replace 0 by very small number) and complete the array with .
(ii) Examine the sign change by taking 0
Now, Routh’s array becomes
s5 1 4 3
4
s 2 8 1
s3 2.5 0
s2 5 8
1 0

5 8
s1 2.5
5 8

s0 1

Now putting 0 , Routh’s array becomes

s5 1 4 3
4
s 2 8 1
s3 2.5 0
s2 5 8
1 0

5 8
s1 2.5
5 8

s0 1

There are two sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is unstable.
Method-2
Replace s by 1 . The system characteristic equation s5 2s4 4s3 8s2 3s 1 0 becomes
Z
1 2 4 8 3
1 0
Z5 Z4 Z3 Z2 Z

Z5 3Z 4 8Z 3 4Z 2 2Z 1 0
Now, Routh’s array becomes

s5 1 8 2
s4 3 4 1
3
s 6.67 1.67 0
s2 3.25 1 0
s1 0.385 0 0
1 0 0
s0
There are two sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is unstable.
9. Examine stability of the following system given by s5 2s4 2s3 4s2 4s 8 using Routh-Hurwitz
stability criterion.
Solution:
In this problem, Routh’s array is
s5 1 2 4
s4 2 4 8
s3 0 0 0
s2
s1
s0
Here, the criterion fails. To remove the above difficulty, the following two methods can be used.
The auxillary equation is
As 2s4 4s2 8
dA s
8s3 8s
ds
Now, the array is rewritten as follows.
s5 1 2 4
s4 2 4 8
3
s 8 8 0
s2 2 8 0
s1 24 0
8
s0
There are two sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is
unstable.
10. Examine stability of the following system given by s4 5s3 2s2 3s 1 0 using Routh-Hurwitz
stability criterion. Find the number of roots in the right half of the s-plane.
Solution:
In this problem, Routh’s array is
s4 1 2 2
s3 5 3 0
s2 1 .4 2
s 1 4 .1 4 0
s0 2
There are two sign changes in first column elements of this array. Therefore, the system is unstable.
There are two poles in the right half of the s-plane.

2.4.3. Advantages of Routh-Hurwitz stability

(i) Stability can be judged without solving the characteristic equation
(ii) Less calculation time
(iii) The number of roots in RHP can be found in case of unstable condition
(iv) Range of value of K for system stability can be calculated
(v) Intersection point with the jw-axis can be calculated
(vi) Frequency of oscillation at steady-state is calculated
2.4.4. Advantages of Routh-Hurwitz stability
(i) It is valid for only real coefficient of the characteristic equation
(ii) Unable to give exact locations of closed-loop poles
(iii) Does not suggest methods for stabilizing an unstable system
(iv) Applicable only to the linear system