Routh-Hurwitz Stability Criterion

• It is a method for determining continuous system stability.

• The Routh-Hurwitz criterion states that “the number of

roots of the characteristic equation with positive real parts

is equal to the number of changes in sign of the first

column of the Routh array”.

Routh-Hurwitz Stability Criterion
This method yields stability information without the need to
solve for the closed-loop system poles.
Using this method, we can tell how many closed-loop system
poles are in the left half-plane, in the right half-plane, and on
the jw-axis. (Notice that we say how many, not where.)

The method requires two steps:

1. Generate a data table called a Routh table.
2. Interpret the Routh table to tell how many closed-loop system
poles are in the LHP, the RHP, and on the jw-axis.
 Example: Generating a basic Routh Table.

• Only the first 2 rows of the array are obtained from the characteristic eq. the
remaining are calculated as follows;
 Routh-Hurwitz Stability Criterion
• The characteristic equation of the nth order continuous system can be write as:

• The stability criterion is applied using a Routh table which is defined as;

• Where are coefficients of the characteristic equation.

 Routh’s Stability Condition

• If the closed-loop transfer function has all poles in the left half of the s-
plane, the system is stable. Thus, a system is stable if there are no sign
changes in the first column of the Routh table.

• The Routh-Hurwitz criterion declares that the number of roots of the

polynomial that are lies in the right half-plane is equal to the number of
sign changes in the first column. Hence the system is unstable if the poles
lies on the right hand side of the s-plane.
Four Special Cases or Configurations in the
First Column Array of the Routh’s Table:

1. Case-I: No element in the first column is zero.

2. Case-II: A zero in the first column but some other elements of the row

are nonzero.

3. Case-III: A zero containing full of zero’s.

Case-I: No element in the first column is zero.
Second-Order System.

The characteristic polynomial of a second order system is given below

The Routh array is written as

Where

The requirement for a stable second order system is simply that all the
coefficient be positive or all the coefficient s be negative.
Third-Order System.

The characteristic polynomial of a third order system is given below

The Routh array is

Where

• The requirement for a stable third order system is that the coefficients be
positive and
• The condition when results in a marginally stability case
(recognized as Case-3 because there is a zero in the first column) and one
pair of roots lies on the imaginary axis in the s-plane.
 Example-1: Find the stability of the continues system having
the characteristic equation of

Solution: Prepare Routh Array

Stability:

• Since there is no changes of the sign in the first column of the

Routh table, it means that all the roots of the characteristic
equation have negative real parts and hence this system is
stable.
Example-2: Find the stability of the continues system having the
characteristic polynomial of a third order system is given below

The Routh array is:

Stability:

• Because TWO changes in sign appear in the first column, we

find that two roots of the characteristic equation lie in the right
hand side of the s-plane. Hence the system is unstable.
 Example-3: Determine a rang of values of a system parameter K
for which the system is stable.

• The Routh table of the given system is computed:

• For system stability, it is necessary that the conditions 8 – k >0,

and 1 + k > 0, must be satisfied. Hence the rang of values of a
system parameter k must be lies between -1 and 8 (i.e., -1 < k < 8).
 Example-4: Find the stability of the system shown below using Routh criterion.

The close loop transfer function is:

The Routh table of the system is shown in the table

Because TWO changes in sign appear in the first column, we find that two roots of
the characteristic equation lie in the right hand side of the s-plane. Hence the
system is unstable.
 Example-5: Find the stability of the system shown below using Routh criterion.

• The Routh table of the system is

• System is unstable because there are two sign changes in the first column of
the Routh’s table. Hence the equation has two roots on the right half of the s-
Case-II: A Zero Only in the First Column
 Case-II: Stability via Epsilon Method
• If the first element of a row is zero, division by zero would be
required to form the next row.
• To avoid this phenomenon, an epsilon, ε, (a small positive number)
is assigned to replace the zero in the first column.
• The value ε is then allowed to approach zero from either the positive
or the negative side, after which the signs of the entries in the first
column can be determined.
 Case-II: Stability via Epsilon Method
Example-6: Determine the stability of the system having a characteristic equation given below;

The Routh array is shown in the table;

Where

There are TWO sign changes due to the large negative number in the first column,
Therefore the system is unstable, and two roots of the equation lie in the right half of the s-plane.
EXAMPLE :Construct Routh array and determine the stability of the
system represented by the characteristic equation,
s5+s4+2s3+2s2+3s+5=0. Comment on the ion o the roots of
characteristic equation.
Stability
Example-7: Determine the range of parameter K for which the system is unstable.

The Routh array of the above characteristic equation is shown below;

Where

• Therefore, for any value of K greater than zero, the system is unstable.
• Also, because the last term in the first column is equal to K, a negative value of
K will result in an unstable system.
• Consequently, the system is unstable for all values of gain K.
 Example-8: Determine the stability of the of the closed-loop transfer function;

Table-1: The complete Routh table is Table-2: shows the first column of Table-1 along with the
formed by using the denominator of resulting signs for choices of ε positive and ε negative.
the characteristic equation T(s).

• When quantity ε is either positive or negative, in both cases the sign in the first
column of Routh table is changes twice.
• Hence, the system is unstable and has two poles in the right half-plane.
Example-9: Repeated example-8: Determine the stability
of the closed-loop transfer function;

• First write a polynomial that has the reciprocal roots of the denominator of T(s).
• This polynomial is formed by writing the denominator of T(s) in reverse order.
Hence,

• The Routh table is

• Since there are TWO sign changes, the system is unstable and has TWO
right-half-plane poles.
• This is the same as the result obtained in the previous Example.
• Notice that Table does not have a zero in the first column.
 Case-III: Entire Row is Zero.
• Sometimes while making a Routh table, we find that an entire row consists

of zeros.

• This happen because there is an even polynomial that is a factor of the

original polynomial.

• This case must be handled differently from the case of a zero in only the first

column of a row.
 Example-10: Determine the stability of the system.
The characteristic equation q(s) of the system is
Where K is an adjustable loop gain. The Routh array is then;

For a stable system, the value of K must be;

When K = 8, the two roots exist on the jω axis and the system will be marginally stable.
• Also, when K = 8, we obtain a row of zeros (case-III).
• The auxiliary polynomial, U(s), is the equation of the row preceding the row of Zeros.
• The U(s) in this case, obtained from the s2 row.
• The order of the auxiliary polynomial is always even and indicates the number of
symmetrical root pairs.
Example-10: continue.

• The auxiliary polynomial, U(s), can be obtain as;

• To show that the auxiliary polynomial, U(s), is indeed a factor of the characteristic
polynomial, q(s), we divide q(s) by U(s) to obtain

• When K = 8, the factors of the characteristic polynomial, q(s), are

 Case-IV: Repeated roots of the characteristic
equation on the jω-axis.
• If the jω-axis roots are repeated, the system response will be unstable with a form
tsin(ωt + Ф). The Routh-Hurwitz criteria will not reveal this form of instability.

Example-11: Determine the stability of the system with the characteristic equation of

The Routh array is;

 Example-11:Continue.
Therefore, the Auxiliary polynomial, U(s), is;

Which indicates that TWO roots are on the imaginary jω-axis.

To examine the remaining roots, we divide the characteristic equation, q(s), by the
auxiliary polynomial, U(s), to obtain;
(a)

Establishing a Routh table for this equation, we have;

• The TWO changes in sign in the first column indicate the presence of TWO roots in
the right-hand plane, and the system is unstable.
• There are THREE roots of eq. (a). The ONE root in left-hand side is s = - 3.
• The TWO roots in the right-hand plane are
ROOT LOCUS
Concept of Root Locus

A Technique is used to check the stability of the 

closed-loop control system.

Concept of Root Locus

The transfer function for the above system will be

given as:

The characteristic equation will be given as:

1 + KG(s)H(s) = 0
If gain K is varied from – ∞ to + ∞ then every individual value

of k within this range will provide a different set of locations of

the poles in the s-plane.
Types of Root Locus

Direct Root Locus: 0<K<∞

Invers Root Locus: -∞ <K<0

Angle and Magnitude Condition of Root Locus

The characteristic equation of a general closed-loop negative

feedback system is given as:

1 + G(s)H(s) = 0

G(s)H(s) = -1

G(s)H(s) = -1 + j0
Angle and Magnitude Condition of Root Locus
Why Root Locus?

Range of stability

Range of Instablity

Condition that causes a system move from stability to

instability and viz.

 Properties of Root Locus
Root Locs is symmetrical about the real axis.

Starting point of Root Locus: Originate from an open

loop pole.
Ending point of Root Locus: Terminates on an open

loop zero at infinity.

Number of Root Loci: n-m or m-n which ever is higher.

where, n- no. of open loop pole

m- no.of open loop zero’s
The root loci on the real axis
Pole-Zero Map
1

0.5
Imaginary Axis

-0.5

-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Asymptotes of the root loci
 180(2k  1)
Angle of asymptotes   
nm
Where,
• n-----> number of poles
• m-----> number of zeros
• For this Transfer Function
K
G (s) H (s) 
s ( s  1)( s  2)

 180(2k  1)
 
30
• Determine the asymptotes of the root loci.

  60 when k  0
 180 when k  1
 300 when k  2
 420 when k  3

• Since the angle repeats itself as k is varied, the distinct angles

for the asymptotes are determined as 60°, –60°, -180°and
180°.
• Thus, there are three asymptotes having angles 60°, –60°,
180°.
 Centroid
• Before we can draw these asymptotes in the complex
plane, we must find the point where they intersect the
real axis.

• Point of intersection of asymptotes on real axis (or

centroid of asymptotes) can be find as out

 poles   zeros

nm
 Centroid

For example:
K
G (s) H (s) 
s ( s  1)( s  2)

(0  1  2)  0

30

3
  1
3
 Plotting Centroid and Asymtotes

Pole-Zero Map
1

0.5

  60 ,60 , 180

Imaginary Axis

180 60
0
  1   60

-0.5

-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Real Axis
 Breakaway point of Root Locus
Pole-Zero Map
1
• The breakaway point
corresponds to a point
in the s plane where 0.5
multiple roots of the
characteristic equation
Imaginary Axis
occur. 0

• It is the point from

which the root locus -0.5

branches leaves real

axis and enter in
-1
complex plane. -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Real Axis
 Break-in point of Root Locus
Pole-Zero Map
1
• The break-in point
corresponds to a point
in the s plane where 0.5
multiple roots of the
characteristic equation
Imaginary Axis
occur. 0

• It is the point where the

-0.5
root locus branches
arrives at real axis.
-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Real Axis
 Determine the breakaway point or break-in point.
• The breakaway or break-in points can be determined from the
roots of dK
0
ds
• It should be noted that not all the solutions of dK/ds=0
correspond to actual breakaway points.

• If a point at which dK/ds=0 is on a root locus, it is an actual

breakaway or break-in point.

• Stated differently, if at a point at which dK/ds=0 the value of K

takes a real positive value, then that point is an actual breakaway
or break-in point.
 Determine the breakaway point or break-in point
K
G (s) H (s) 
s ( s  1)( s  2)
• The characteristic equation of the system is
K
1  G( s) H (s)  1  0
s ( s  1)( s  2)

K
 1
s( s  1)( s  2)

• The breakaway point can now be determined as

K  s( s  1)( s  2)
dK d
  s ( s  1)( s  2)
ds ds
 dK d
  s( s  1)( s  2)
ds ds

dK
ds

d 3
ds

s  3s 2  2s 

• Set dK/ds=0 in order to determine breakaway point.

dK
 3s 2  6 s  2
ds

 3s 2  6 s  2  0
3s 2  6 s  2  0

s  0.4226
 1.5774
 s  0.4226 K  s( s  1)( s  2)
 1.5774

• Since the breakaway point must lie on a root locus between 0

and –1, it is clear that s=–0.4226 corresponds to the actual
breakaway point.
• Point s=–1.5774 is not on the root locus. Hence, this point is
not an actual breakaway or break-in point.
• In fact, evaluation of the values of K corresponding to s=–
0.4226 and s=–1.5774 yields
 Pole-Zero Map
1

0.5
Imaginary Axis

s  0.4226 180 60

0
  60

-0.5

-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Real Axis
 Pole-Zero Map
1

0.5
Imaginary Axis

0
s  0.4226

-0.5

-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Real Axis
Angle of Departure
Angle of Departure
Angle of Arrival
Angle of Arrival
 Points where root loci cross the imaginary axis

• Put s=jω in the characteristic equation, equate both the

real part and the imaginary part to zero, and then solve for
ω and K.

• For the characteristic equation:

K
1  G( s) H (s)  1  0
s ( s  1)( s  2)

s 3  3s 2  2s  K  0
( j ) 3  3( j ) 2  2 j  K  0

( K  3 2 )  j (2   3 )  0
• Equating both real and imaginary parts of this
equation to zero
( K  3 2 )  j (2   3 )  0

• Which yields
(2   3 )  0

( K  3 2 )  0
 Steps for Constructing Root Locus
Step 1: Locate Poles and Zero’s of G(S)*H(S) on s-plane.
Step 2: Draw Root Locus on Real axis.
Step 3: Determine Asymtotes and Centroid and draw on s-plane
Step 4: Find break away/ break in point and indicate on s-plane if
it is valid.
Step 5: Find Angle of Departure/ Angle of Arrival and indicate it
on s-plane if it is exsisting.
Step 6: Find crossing point on imaginary axis and indicate it on s-
plane.