Poles, Zeros and System Stability

Learning Objectives
• to be able to determine the poles and zeros of a system.
• to relate the position of the system poles to the time domain
performance indices.
• to understand how zeros arise within a system
• to examine what is meant by a bounded or unbounded signal
• to determine the stability of a system and its relationship to the
poles of the system.
Poles and Zeros
n( s) bm s m + bm−1s m−1 ++b1s1 + b0
G( s ) = =
d ( s) a n s n + a n−1s n−1 ++a1s1 + a0

The poles of the system G(s) are defined as the roots of the
denominator polynomial:
Poles: All the values of s for which d(s) = 0

We note that the polynomial, d(s), of degree n has n roots and a

system of order n has n poles. The system poles may be real and/or
complex. If the poles are complex, the pole locations will occur in
complex conjugate pairs.

The zeros of the system G(s) are defined as the roots of the
numerator polynomial:
Zeros: All the values of s for which n(s) = 0
 s = σ + jω
!

j!

s = " + j!
!
Left Half Plane Right Half Plane
(LHP) (RHP)

"
Origin Real Axis
" = 0, ! = 0 " = Re(s)

Imaginary
Axis
! = Im(s)

the real axis: s = σ + j0

the imaginary axis: s = 0 + jω
The origin s = 0 + j0.
The region to the left of jω axis is the Left Half Plane (LHP)
The region to the right of jω axis is , the Right Half Plane (RHP).
Problem
( s + 1)
Find the poles and zeros for the system model: G( s ) =
( s + s − 6)
2

Solution
Poles
d(s) = (s2 +s-6) = (s-2)(s+3) = 0
The poles of the system are at s = 2 and s = -3, hence the poles are
p1 = 2 and p2 = -3.
Zeros
n(s) = (s+1) = 0
Hence the zero of the system is z1 = -1.
Pole-Zero Map
1
jω
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 p2 = -3 z1 = -1 p1 = 2

-0.2
-0.4
-0.6

-0.8
-1
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Real Axis
Problem
Find the poles and zeros of the transfer function
( s + 3)
G( s) =
( s − 4)(s 2 + 12 s + 52)
Draw the pole-zero map of G(s).
Solution
p2
n(s) = (s+3) p 2 , p3

d(s) = (s- 4)(s2+12s+52)

Poles p1

d(s) = (s-4)( s2+ 12s + 52) = 0

z1

(s-4) = 0 → s = 4  p1=4 Zero at

z1 = -3

( s2+ 12s + 52) =0 so p3

p2 = - 6+4j and p3 = -6-4j.

Zeros
n(s) = (s+3) = 0. → s = -3.
Multiple Poles and Zeros
1
G(s) = 2
s
d(s) = s2= 0
This has two roots both at s = 0, hence p1 = 0 and p2 = 0. we
indicate this by the double cross ( ) in Figure 0.Error! Bookmark
not defined..

Im(s)

s-plane

Re(s)

Double pole (0,0)

at the origin
Relationship between 1st order system poles and its time
constant
(i) G1 (s) = 1 (ii) G2 (s) = 1 (iii) G3 (s) = 1
2s + 1 5s + 1 10s + 1

(i) s1 = -0.5, τ1 = 2 A small time constant gives a

(ii) s2 = -0.2, τ2 = 5 fast response and its pole will
(iii) s3 = -0.1, τ3 = 10 lie further from the imaginary
axis.
1
Step Response Pole-zero map A large time constant produces
1
a slow response and its pole
0.8 will lie closer to the imaginary
0.5 s1 s2 s3 s4
axis
0.6
0
0.4

-0.5
0.2

0 -1
τ1 τ2 τ3 τ4 30 40 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
Time Real Axis
Second Order Systems
ω 2n
G(s) =
s 2 + 2ζω n s + ω 2n
For underdamped systems, 0 < ζ < 1, the two poles are:
p1 = −ζω n + jω n (1 − ζ 2 )

p2 = −ζω n − jω n (1 − ζ 2 )
Imag. Axis Pole-zero map
2
ωn 1-ζ2 1-ζ2
tan θ = =
1 p1 ζωn ζ

ωn 1-ζ 2 R

0 C
θ
O R2 = (ζωn)2 + (ωn 1-ζ2 )2 = ωn2
-ωnζ
-ωn 1-ζ2

-1 p2

-2
-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
Real Axis
 Imag. Axis Pole-zero map
4

3 Lines of constant
damping ratio, ζ
2

-1

-2

-3
Semicircles of
constant ωn
-4

-5
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1

Real Axis

Remarks:
• The imaginary axis represents the locus of all the poles for
constant ζ = 0 (the oscillatory systems).
• The negative real axis represents the pole locations for constant
values of ζ ≥ 1.
Link between pole position and time response

Oscillatory Systems
ω2
G( s ) = 2 n 2
s +ωn
s2 + ω 2n = 0 → s = ± jω
Underdamped System
p1 = −ζω n + jω n (1 − ζ 2 )

p2 = −ζω n − jω n (1 − ζ 2 )
Step Response Pole-zero map
2 1

1.5 0.5

Imag Axis
Amplitude

1 0

0.5 -0.5

0 -1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
Time (sec.) Real Axis

(a) (b)
Critically damped System
ω 2n
G( s ) =
( s + ω n )2
Step Response Pole-zero map
1 1

0.8
0.5

Multiple pole

Imag Axis
0.6
Amplitude

0.4

-0.5
0.2

0 -1
0 5 10 15 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
Time (sec.) Real Axis

(a) (b)
pole-zero map
Overdamped System
s 2 + 2ζω n s + ω 2n = 0 → s = −ζω n ± ω n (ζ 2 − 1)
Since ζ > 1, both poles are real p1 = −ζω n − ω n (ζ 2 − 1) and
p2 = −ζω n + ω n (ζ 2 − 1) .
Both poles have negative real parts and
therefore the poles lie in the LHP.

Step Response Pole-zero map

1 1

0.8
0.5
Amplitude

0.6
Imag Axis 0

0.4

-0.5
0.2

0 -1
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 -6 -4 -2 0 2
Time (sec.) Real Axis
(a) (b)
Closed-Loop Systems
.
R(s) + U(s) Y(s)
K(s) G(s)

Assume
nG (s) n (s)
G(s) = , K(s) = C
dG (s) dC (s)

We can then find the closed-loop transfer function as:

Y(s) nCl(s) K(s)G(s)
GCL(s) = = =
R(s) dCL(s) 1 + K(s)G(s)
We replace for K(s) and G(s) to obtain:
n (s) nK(s)nG(s)
GCL(s) = Cl =
dCL(s) dK(s)dG(s) + nK(s)nG(s)
Open and closed loop poles
the closed-loop poles:
dCL(s) = dK(s)dG(s) + nK(s)nG(s) = 0
Open and closed loop zeros
ncl (s) = nC (s)nG (s) = 0 → nK (s) = 0 nG (s) = 0
feedback does not change the zeros of the system
Problem: First Order System
Study the effect of the controller gain k = 0, 1, 4, 8, 10 on the
closed-loop pole position

R(s) + U(s) Y(s)

1
k
s+10

Solution
(s+10) = 0 → s = -10 → p1 (system) = -10.
Closed-loop transfer function:
k
s+10 k
GCL(s) = =
k s + 10+k
1+
s+10
Closed-loop poles: (s + 10 + k) = 0 → p1 = -10 –k

k System pole Closed-loop pole

0 -10 -10
1 -10 -11
4 -10 -14
8 -10 -18
10 -10 -20
as we increase the gain k, the closed-loop poles moves further to the
left in the LHP plane.
Problem: Second Order System
Study the effect of the controller gain k = 0, 1, 3, 5,6,8,10 on the
closed-loop poles.
R(s) + U(s) Y(s)
1
k
s(s+10)

Solution
System poles: s(s+10) = 0 → s = -10 and s = 0
k
s(s+10) k
Closed-loop tf: GCL(s) = = 2
k s + 10s+k
1+
s(s+10)
Closed-loop poles:
(s2 + 10s + k) = 0 →s = -5 ± 25 -k
We analyse three cases depending on the value of k.
(i) 0 < k < 25, p1 = -5+ 25 -k and p2 = -5+ 25 -k (Overdamped)
(ii) k = 25, p1 = -5 and p2 = -5 (Critically damped system)
(iii) k > 25, p1=-5+j k - 25 and p2 = -5 - j k - 25 (Underdamped System)
The system is overdamped for k = 0 (no feedback).
As we increase k to 25, the closed-loop poles move to –5 and the
system becomes critically damped.
Increasing k to values above 25 makes the poles complex and they
move away from the real axis (underdamped system).
We can therefore change the position of the poles by changing the
gain k until a desired controller performance is obtained.
8

6
Open loop poles
4

2
Imag Axis

-2

-4

-6

-8
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4
Real Axis
Stability

The definition of system stability can be related to the poles of a

system. However, its strict interpretation also relies on our
knowledge of the system's response to bounded signals.
1

0.8 x1(t)=1.0
All these
signals are
0.6 x3(t) = 1 -e-t bounded
within ±1.
0.4

0.2 x2 (t ) = e − t

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
 1

0.8

0.6
x 4 ( t ) = 0.5 sin( t )

0.4
All these
0.2
Signals
0 are
bounded
-0.2
within
-0.4 ±1

-0.6

-0.8 x 5( t ) = e − t sin( t )
-1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

4
x 10
2.5
4
x 10
2.5

x 7 ( t ) = e 01
.t
2

2
1.5

1.5
1

0.5
1
x6 (t ) = t 2
0.5
0

0
-0.5

-1
x8 ( t ) = − e 01
.t -0.5

-1
-1.5

-2
-1.5
x9 ( t ) = e 01
. t sin( t )
-2
-2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
-2.50 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Poles in LHP and RHP
Signals whose transforms have all the poles in the LHP are
bounded.
Signals whose transforms have any one pole in the RHP are
unbounded.

Poles on jω axis
Signals whose transforms have poles in the LHP and no
multiple poles on the jω axis are bounded, otherwise they are
unbounded.
System Stability

(a) (b)

What is a stable system?

We call a system stable if its output signal is bounded for any
bounded input signal. We call this type of system stability
“bounded-input bounded-output stability”.

Stability Test
A system is stable if all its poles lie in the Left Half Plane and
there is no poles on the imaginary axis.
What we have learnt
 to find the poles and zeros from the transfer function
representation of a system:
System poles are the roots of the denominator
polynomial of the
system transfer function
System zeros are the roots of the numerator polynomial
of the system
transfer function
 to recognise that the link between the first order time constant,
τ, and the associated pole position:
As the time constant increases the pole approaches the
origin
 to understand the relationship between the second order system
parameters, (ζ and ωn), and the associated contours on the pole-
zero map.
Fixing the damping ratio fixes the angle of the second
order poles
from the real axis
Fixing the natural frequency ensures the poles lie a fixed
distance from
 the origin
 to understand how the zeros in a system arise and the blocking
effect they have on signals
 to understand that by closing the loop, the poles of the closed
loop system will be different from the system poles.
 to determine whether a signal is bounded or unbounded
 to establish whether a system is stable or unstable by using the
stability test:
The system G(s) is stable if all the poles of G(s) lie in the Left
Half Plane
otherwise the system is unstable.