Additional Tips on Routh Hurwitz Tables

————–Last special case: 0 in the first column:——————

s4 a4 a2 a0 0

s3 a3 = 0 a1 0 0

A zero in the first column means some elements will be divided by zero.
 
a4 a2 
 
a3 a1 
b1 = −
a3 = 0
Method 1: Reverse order of coefficients

s4 a0 a2 a4 0

s3 a1 a3 = 0 0 0

Problematic a3 = 0 is no longer in first column, and number of sign changes remains the same.

If Method 1 doesn’t work - Method 2: Replace the 0 with a very small positive/negative
number close to zero, ϵ See The Routh Hurwitz homework (HW6), Q1 detailed solutions for an
example.

———– Quickly determine the number of jω poles (Poles on the Imaginary Axis)———–

You can determine the number of jω poles WITHOUT solving for the Auxiliary Polynomial
P(s).

Count the number of sign changes starting at the row ABOVE your row of zeros, the same row
that forms the Auxiliary Polynomial. This polynomial is ALWAYS even and its poles symmetrical
about the origin, e.g. poles at 2i and -2i

(see Page 309 of the Nise 7th edition textbook if you want to know why). We can use this to
our advantage.

For example, if the rows from this P(s) row (say it is s4 , so 4 total poles) to the last row contain 0
sign changes, there are 0 RHP poles. Due to the symmetry about the origin of this even polynomial,
we can’t have LHP poles either. What this must mean then is that all the poles are on the Imaginary
Axis, and we have 4 jω poles out of the 4 total poles.

1
 This is the case for the transfer function
20
s8 + s7 + 12s6 + 22s5 + 39s4 + 59s3 + 48s2 + 38s + 20
See Page 309 of the Nise 7th edition textbook for the full solution, or make the Routh Hurwitz table
and see for yourself.

Looking back at the tutorial, we also had an Auxiliary Polynomial P(s) made from s4 . There
were two sign changes from s4 down to s0 , and thus 2 RHP poles. With symmetry for this P(s),
2 RHP poles mean there must be 2 LHP poles that are symmetric about the origin. 4 total poles,
where 2 are RHP and 2 are LHP poles, must mean that 0 poles are on the Imaginary Axis. You can
check the poles locations with MATLAB.