1

State-space behaviours 1
introduction
J A Rossiter

Slides by Anthony Rossiter

 2

Introduction
• The first chapter demonstrated a number of ways
of generating a state space model to represent a
linear system.
x  Ax  Bu
y  Cx  Du
• This set of videos focuses on how the behaviours
link to the parameters in A,B,C,D. (We will
assume D=0 as this is typical with strictly proper
systems.)
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 3

Eigenvalues and transfer functions

It was shown in video 1.5 that one can find an
equivalent transfer function model from a state
space model, to represent input/output behaviour.

x  Ax  Bu; y  Cx  Du
1
X  ( sI  A) BU
( sI  A) X  BU  1
Y  [C ( sI  A) B  D]U

Roots of |sI-A| correspond Poles come from

to the eigenvalues of A. determinant of (sI-A).
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 4

Interim summary
We expect the modes of behaviour of a state space
model to be determined by the eigenvalues of the
A matrix.
• This video series will not get side tracked by
special cases with embedded pole/zero
cancellations, repeated poles, non-simple Jordan
forms and the like.
• We will focus on constant inputs u(t) so that
analytic solutions are straightforward. In general
the dynamics of u(t) will appear in the output.
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 5

Expectation
Given a model and constant u.

x  Ax  Bu; y  Cx
eigenvalues  I  A  0
1t 2 t n t
y (t )  k  w1e  w2 e    wn e
How in general might the vectors wi be
determined? (k is simple to evaluate)
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 6

Using Laplace transforms

For now focus on the case with no input and
investigate the state behaviour.

x  Ax 1
X ( s )  ( sI  A) x(0)
A number of examples will be presented showing
that the free response can be determined this way,
although it is rather inefficient.
Also implicit that a state transition matrix can be
defined so that:
1 1
x(t )   (t ) x(0);  (t )  L [( sI  A) ]
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 7

EXAMPLE 1
s  2 
  
1 1 s  3
 3 2  1  s 3 2   
 ( s )  ( sI    )   1 s  
 1 0    s 2
 3s  2

 s 1   1 2 2 2 
 s 2  3s  2    
(s)   s  3s  2  s  1 s  2
2
s 1 s  2 
1 s3   1 1 2 1 
 2     
 s  3s  2 s  3s  2   s  1 s  2
2
s 1 s  2 

  t
 2 t
 2e t  2e 2t 
 (t )  L1  ( s )   t  2t
e 2e
t  2t 
 e e 2e  e 
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 8

EXAMPLE 2
s 2  11s  6  6s 
 
s s 2  6s 6 
 6  11  6 1
  1  s6 s 2  6 s  11
 ( s )  ( sI   1 0 0 ) 
s 3  6 s 2  11s  6
 0 1 0 
Clearly very tedious and not a route to be pursued in
general!
 0.5  0.25 4.5 2.5  16 13.5 3 3 9 
 s 1  s  2  s  3  
s 1 s  2 s  3
 
s 1 s  2 s  3
  0 .5 2  1 .5  2 .5 8  4 .5 3 6 3 
(s)         
 s 1 s  2 s  3 s 1 s  2 s  3 s 1 s  2 s  3
 0 . 5   1  0 .5 2 .5  4
 
1 .5 3

3

1 
 s  1 s  2 s  3 s 1 s  2 s  3 s  1 s  2 s  3 
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 9

State transition matrix Φ(t)

It is demonstrated that:

x  Ax  x(t )   (t ) x(0)
The state transition matrix Φ(t) can be computed
using Laplace methods, although this is tedious.

Slides by Anthony Rossiter

 Properties of state transition matrix 10

Φ(t)
It is easy to show that Φ(t) has a number of
properties, although these are unlikely to be used
much hereafter.
 (t1  t 2 )   (t1 ) (t 2 )  (t )   (t )
1

x(t1  t 2 )   (t1  t 2 ) x(0); x(t )   (t ) x(0);

x(t1  t 2 )   (t1 ) x(t 2 )
x(0)   (t ) x(t )
x(t 2 )   (t 2 ) x(0)
(t )(t )  I
Slides by Anthony Rossiter
 Anthony Rossiter
Department of Automatic Control and
Systems Engineering
University of Sheffield
www.shef.ac.uk/acse

© 2016 University of Sheffield

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