MATH319 Slides

138 Stability for systems and transfer functions

Theorem

Let Σ be a linear system with rational transfer function T. Then Σ is BIBO stable if and only if T is stable.

Proof. Suppose that the system is BIBO, and that T is not stable. Recall Y^(s)=T(s)U^(s). Then we can choose a bounded input U=1 such that U^(s)=1/s. But Σ is BIBO stable, so Y is bounded, and hence Y^(s) is holomorphic on {s:s>0} and Y^(s)0 as s along (0,). So T(s)=sY^(s) must be proper rational.

Suppose that T has a pole at λ. If λ>0, then T(s)U^(s)=T(s)/s also has a pole at λ. But Y^(s) cannot have a pole at s=λ by Prop 79.

Now suppose that λ=0, so λ=iν for some real ν. The idea is to cause resonance, so we let U(t)=cosνt, which is bounded, and

U^(s)=ss2+ν2=1/2s-iν+1/2s+iν