Multiplicity-induced-dominancy for delay-differential equations of retarded type (Q2020111)

Consider a delay equation of the form \[ y^{(n)}(t)+\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}a_ky^{(k)}(t)+ \sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\alpha_k y^{(k)}(t-\tau)=0 \] with real coefficients and \(\tau>0\). The related characteristic function is defined as \[ \Delta(s)=s^n+\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}a_k+ e^{-s\tau}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}\alpha_ks^k. \] Let \(s_0\in\mathbb{R}\). It is obtained a criterion for \(s_0\) to be a root of multiplicity \(2n\) of \(\Delta(s)\). The conditions for \(s_0\) to be a strictly dominant root are proved. If \(s_0\) is a root of multiplicity \(2n\) of \(\Delta(s)\), then the trivial solution is exponentially stable if \(a_{n-1}>-n^2/\tau\). Some applications for linear control systems are given.