No label defined (Q4547176)

Most of the robust stability results for continuous-time linear systems assume invariance of the degree of the characteristic polynomial when uncertain parameters vary continuously. Indeed, robust stability can be lost if the degree decreases for some value of the uncertain parameters: this is commonly referred to as the degree dropping phenomenon. Here the authors study technical assumptions under which degree dropping does not occur. With the help of an extended zero exclusion condition on the value set of uncertain polynomials, it is shown that Kharitonov's theorem on robust stability of interval parametric polynomials remains valid when the invariant degree assumption is relaxed. A similar result was shown, e.g., in [\textit{R. Hernández} and \textit{S. Dormido}, IEEE Trans. Autom. Control 41, 1009-1012 (1996; Zbl 0875.93450)] and [\textit{J. C. Willems} and \textit{R. Tempo}, IEEE Trans. Autom. Control 44, 2218-2220 (1999; Zbl 0958.93073)].