Delay-dependent stability criteria for linear systems with multiple time delays

Abstract

The problem of the delay-dependent stability of linear systems with multiple time delays is discussed. A new method is first presented for a system with two time delays, in which free weighting matrices are used to express the relationships among the terms of the Leibniz–Newton formula. Next, this method is used to show the equivalence between a system with two identical time delays and a system with a single time delay. Then, a numerical example verifies that the criterion given is effective and is a significant improvement over the existing ones. Finally, the basic idea is extended to a system with multiple time delays.