EGES523 Spring 2006

The Jury Test

for stability of a discrete-time system

b( z )
Given a transfer function H (z ) = , the system is stable if and only if all roots of
a(z )
a( z ) = a 0 z n + a1 z n −1 + K + a n are inside the unit circle.

To use the Jury test, begin by multiplying a(z) by -1 if necessary to make a0 positive. Then form
the following array:
a0 a1 K a n −1 an
an a n −1 K a1 a0
b0 b1 K bn −1 ⋅
bn −1 bn − 2 K b0 ⋅
c0 c1 K ⋅ ⋅
cn−2 c n −3 K ⋅ ⋅

Third-row entries are based on second-order determinants divided by a0 of the first two rows,
starting with the first and last columns, then the first and second-to-last columns, etc.:
b0 = a0 − aan0 an
b1 = a1 − aan0 an −1
bk = ak − aan0 an − k

The fourth row is made by reversing the third row, and the fifth row is given by
c k = bk − bbn0−1 bn −1− k

If all the terms in the first columns of the odd rows are positive, the polynomial a(z) is stable.