Nonlinear Control
Lecture # 4
Stability of Equilibrium Points
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Basic Concepts
x = f (x)
f is locally Lipschitz over a domain D Rn
Suppose x D is an equilibrium point; that is, f (
x) = 0
Characterize and study the stability of x
For convenience, we state all definitions and theorems for the
case when the equilibrium point is at the origin of Rn ; that is,
x = 0. No loss of generality
y = x x
def
y = x = f (x) = f (y + x) = g(y),
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
where g(0) = 0
Definition 3.1
The equilibrium point x = 0 of x = f (x) is
stable if for each > 0 there is > 0 (dependent on )
such that
kx(0)k < kx(t)k < , t 0
unstable if it is not stable
asymptotically stable if it is stable and can be chosen
such that
kx(0)k < lim x(t) = 0
t
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Scalar Systems (n = 1)
The behavior of x(t) in the neighborhood of the origin can be
determined by examining the sign of f (x)
The requirement for stability is violated if xf (x) > 0 on
either side of the origin
f(x)
f(x)
Unstable
f(x)
Unstable
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Unstable
The origin is stable if and only if xf (x) 0 in some
neighborhood of the origin
f(x)
Stable
f(x)
f(x)
Stable
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Stable
The origin is asymptotically stable if and only if xf (x) < 0 in
some neighborhood of the origin
f(x)
f(x)
(a)
Asymptotically Stable
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
(b)
Globally Asymptotically Stable
Definition 3.2
Let the origin be an asymptotically stable equilibrium point of
the system x = f (x), where f is a locally Lipschitz function
defined over a domain D Rn ( 0 D)
The region of attraction (also called region of asymptotic
stability, domain of attraction, or basin) is the set of all
points x0 in D such that the solution of
x = f (x),
x(0) = x0
is defined for all t 0 and converges to the origin as t
tends to infinity
The origin is globally asymptotically stable if the region of
attraction is the whole space Rn
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Two-dimensional Systems(n = 2)
Type of equilibrium point
Center
Stable Node
Stable Focus
Unstable Node
Unstable Focus
Saddle
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Stability Property
Example: Tunnel Diode Circuit
x
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
Q
1
Q
2
0.6
0.4
0.2
Q
3
0
x
0.2
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.4
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
0.6
0.8
1.2
1.4
1.6
Example: Pendulum Without Friction
x=y
y = sin(x)
3
4
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
0
x
Example: Pendulum With Friction
4
x2
3
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Linear Time-Invariant Systems
x = Ax
x(t) = exp(At)x(0)
P 1AP = J = block diag[J1 , J2 , . . . , Jr ]
i 1 0 . . . . . . 0
0 i 1 0 . . . 0
..
..
..
.
.
.
Ji =
..
...
.
0
.
.
.
.
. 1
0 . . . . . . . . . 0 i mm
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
exp(At) = P exp(Jt)P
mi
r X
X
tk1 exp(i t)Rik
i=1 k=1
mi is the order of the Jordan block Ji
Re[i ] < 0 i Asymptotically Stable
Re[i ] > 0 for some i Unstable
Re[i ] 0 i & mi > 1 for Re[i ] = 0 Unstable
Re[i ] 0 i & mi = 1 for Re[i ] = 0 Stable
If an n n matrix A has a repeated eigenvalue i of algebraic
multiplicity qi , then the Jordan blocks of i have order one if
and only if rank(A i I) = n qi
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Theorem 3.1
The equilibrium point x = 0 of x = Ax is stable if and only if
all eigenvalues of A satisfy Re[i ] 0 and for every eigenvalue
with Re[i ] = 0 and algebraic multiplicity qi 2,
rank(A i I) = n qi , where n is the dimension of x. The
equilibrium point x = 0 is globally asymptotically stable if and
only if all eigenvalues of A satisfy Re[i ] < 0
When all eigenvalues of A satisfy Re[i ] < 0, A is called a
Hurwitz matrix
When the origin of a linear system is asymptotically stable, its
solution satisfies the inequality
kx(t)k kkx(0)ket ,
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
t 0, k 1, > 0
Exponential Stability
Definition 3.3
The equilibrium point x = 0 of x = f (x) is exponentially
stable if
kx(t)k kkx(0)ket , t 0
k 1, > 0, for all kx(0)k < c
It is globally exponentially stable if the inequality is satisfied
for any initial state x(0)
Exponential Stability Asymptotic Stability
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Example 3.2
x = x3
The origin is asymptotically stable
x(0)
x(t) = p
1 + 2tx2 (0)
x(t) does not satisfy |x(t)| ket |x(0)| because
|x(t)| ket |x(0)|
e2t
k2
1 + 2tx2 (0)
e2t
=
t 1 + 2tx2 (0)
Impossible because lim
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Linearization
x = f (x),
f (0) = 0
f is continuously differentiable over D = {kxk < r}
J(x) =
f
(x)
x
h() = f (x) for 0 1,
h(1) h(0) =
h () = J(x)x
h () d,
h(0) = f (0) = 0
f (x) =
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
J(x) d x
f (x) =
J(x) d x
Set A = J(0) and add and subtract Ax
Z 1
f (x) = [A + G(x)]x, where G(x) =
[J(x) J(0)] d
0
G(x) 0 as x 0
This suggests that in a small neighborhood of the origin we
can approximate the nonlinear system x = f (x) by its
linearization about the origin x = Ax
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Theorem 3.2
The origin is exponentially stable if and only if Re[i ] < 0
for all eigenvalues of A
The origin is unstable if Re[i ] > 0 for some i
Linearization fails when Re[i ] 0 for all i, with Re[i ] = 0
for some i
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
Example 3.3
x = ax3
f
2
=
3ax
=0
A=
x=0
x x=0
Stable if a = 0; Asymp stable if a < 0; Unstable if a > 0
When a < 0, the origin is not exponentially stable
Nonlinear Control Lecture # 4 Stability of Equilibrium Points
