Robust stability of a special class of polynomial matrices with control applications

The robust stability problem of uncertain continuous-time systems described by higher-order dynamic equations is considered in this paper. Previous results on robust stability of Metzlerian matrices are extended to matrix polynomials, with the coefficient matrices having exactly the same Metzlerian structure. After defining the structured uncertainty for this class of polynomial matrices, we provide an explicit expression for the real stability radius and derive simplified formulae for several special cases. We also report on alternative approaches for investigating robust Hurwitz stability and strong stability of polynomial matrices. Several illustrative examples throughout the paper support the theoretical development. Moreover, an application example is included to demonstrate uncertainty modeling and robust stability analysis used in control design. © 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.