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Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
A criterion to determine:
a) Stability without solving for the roots
b) How many closed-loop systems are in the
left half-plane, in the right-half plane, and on
the j - axis.
c) But cannot find their coordinate (locations)
The Routh-Hurwitz Criterion is based on ordering
the coefficients of the characteristic equation
A(s) = a0sn + a1sn-1 + . . . + an-1s + an = 0
To determine whether the system I stable or not,
check the following conditions:
1. Two necessary but not sufficient conditions
that all the roots have negative real parts
are:
a) All the polynomials coefficients must
have the same sign.
b) All the polynomials coefficients must be
nonzero.
2. If condition (1) is satisfied, then compute the
Routh-Hurwitz array.
The method requires two steps:
(1) Generate a data table called a Routh table and
(2) interpret the Routh table to tell how many
closed-loop system poles are in the left half-plane,
the right half-plane, and on the j-axis.
Routh-Hurwitz Stability Procedure
1. Removing any pole at the origin, write the
denominator polynomial in the following
form:
A(s) = a0sn + a1sn-1 + . . . + an-1s + an = 0
2. Construct the Routh table (or array) as
follows:
3. The number of roots of the polynomial with
positive real parts (unstable roots) is equal
to the number of sign changes of the
coefficients in the first column of the table.
4. Note that if any of the coefficients are zero
(missing) or negative in the presence of at
least one positive coefficient, there is a root
(or roots) on the j-axis or in the right-half
plane of s-plane.
5. Necessary and sufficient condition for all
roots to lie in the open left half plane is hat
all coefficients of the polynomial are positive
and all first column elements of the Routh
array are positive.
FOUR CASES FOR FIRST COLUMN ARRAY
1) No element in the first column is zero.
 2) There is a zero in the first column, but other
elements of the row contain a zero in the
first column are nonzero
3) There is a zero in the first column, the other
elements of the row contain a zero are also
zero.
4) There is a zero in the first column, and the
other elements of the row contain the zero
are also zero, with repeated roots on the j-
axis

SOLUTION TO FOUR CASES

1) No element in the first column is zero.

Solution: Apply the normal procedure to
the Routh array.
2) There is zero in the first column, but some
other elements of the row containing the
zero in the first column are nonzero.
Solution: if only one element in the array is
zero, it may be replaced by a small positive
number, , which is allowed to approach
zero after completing the array.
3) There is a zero in the first column, the other
elements of the row contain a zero are also
zero.
Solution: This is treated by utilizing the
auxiliary polynomial, which is formed from
the row preceding the row of zeros. The
order of the auxiliary polynomial is always
even. The auxiliary polynomial is a factor of
the characteristic polynomial. In this case,
the system has symmetrical roots.

NOTE: since in case 4 the elements of the row

containing the zero are also zero, then the solution
to case 3 is applicable. The only difference is that
there will be repeated roots on the jw axis.